Nkwëlaha
by Scruff the Rat
Summary: "I hope" in the language of the Lenni Lenape. Or: a tale of how the discovery of a corrupted Gem living among humans changes the course of the Crystal Gems' lives.
1. Legend of the Sky Women

**Welcome to what I hope will be the start of a great journey! I only own the characters not thought up by Rebecca Sugar and the Crewinverse.**

* * *

 _Please, come take a seat._

 _I wish to share a story with you all, a story of beings who once walked (perhaps still walk) the same land as us._

 _Born of stars, these beings, though similar to us in appearance, possessed skills beyond our imagination: the ability to forge weapons from their bodies, to take any form they pleased, to create giants tall enough to touch the Moon and Sun, and so much more._

 _They also did not understand death as we do, and for this reason looked down on us and our weakness, how we were, and refused to realize the true potential of both us and these lands other than a means of sustaining their own existence._

 _Until one of them, soft and gentle as the flowers of spring, saw past our frailty and fell in love with the life of our world. Then and there, she realized the mistake her people were making and sought to change their minds._

 _They took no heed._

 _War became her only option._

 _So she gathered a band of warriors and struck against her own kind to protect this world._

 _The Great Conflict lasted for generations, claiming many lives—both our people and theirs— until finally the enemy fled, leaving this world to the deviant chief and her followers._

 _But at a horrid price._

 _The Suns, in retribution, unleashed a terrible curse on the world, one that rendered any Sky Woman it touched into a beast robbed of memory and control._

 _This curse, the Madness, only the chief and two of her closest followers survived._

 _To this day, these three wander the world in search of their fallen friends, in hopes that one day they will find the cure to restore the Lost Ones to their former selves and reunite their tribe._

 _But that story, I'm afraid, has yet to find its own ending._


	2. Back Again

**Note: Takes place on the day of "Back to the Barn"**

* * *

 _To-Do List_

 _1\. Prepare family breakfast... **X**_

 _2\. Check flowers with Uma... **X**_

 _3\. Submit Final Project for Physics Class... **X**_

 _4\. Morning Jog with Sparky... **X**_

 _5\. Groceries... **X**_

 _6\. Donuts..._

 _7\. Unpack the last few boxes..._

 _8\. Help Dad balance the checkbooks..._

 _9\. Check Spirit Morph fanfics for updates..._

Wait, already?

Double check, just to be sure.

...Yeah, halfway done earlier than usual.

Then again no surprise, considering the size of this town.

Eh, still a nice change of pace from the chaos of Empire City.

In which case.

 _10\. To be continued..._

Now which direction did the sweaty guy that handed this tacky button say the donut shop was?

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 ** _Ding-a-ling, Ding-a-ling!_**

Standing behind the countertop, a stout young woman with short curly blonde hair looked up from cleaning at the twinkling sound, her business-friendly smile ready for the approaching customer despite the intruding rush of chilly air still lingering in the wake of yesterday's heavy showers.

Off to her left, a taller lankier male around her age slipped a heavy box into a stack with the same ease as a twig attempting to shove a boulder off a cliff, making his ungraceful groans and mumbled complaints known. Only when he stood up and administered an exaggerated stretch to his spine did he notice him, too.

A tall sepia-skinned male with black hair in a low-hanging ponytail, faint moustache and soul patch; dark Lennon glasses; gray button-up shirt and blue jeans hinting at the stocky build within them; russet leather jacket ending at the pants pockets that hid his large hairy hands; and mahogany dress shoes.

Sadie put away the washcloth right before the man reached her. "Hi! Welcome to the Big Donut! What would ya like?"

Mysterious only gave a stoic expression as his view shifted to the display of sugary temptations beside the worker, their glass cases shimmering in the early afternoon light. He pointed at a cinnamon apple fritter with one hand then a strawberry jelly fill topped by vanilla glaze with the other.

"How many?"

Three fingers on the first hand raised up in response; four on the second.

Not fazed at all by the lack of verbal response, Sadie dutifully fulfilled the order. She knew how to deal with the silent types. Before she could hand over the bag, however, her coworker snatched it from her grasp and presented it to Mysterious as though granting a royal an extravagant gift.

"It's on the house, man!"

Of flipping course.

Sadie sighed at this sad display; facepalming at Lars's shameless attempts to advance up the status quo lost its satisfaction ages ago. Except when Mysterious accepted the bag, he deposited it on the counter in favor of hunting around the inner pockets of his jacket for his wallet. Lars instantly flew into sycophant protest, insisting "really dude, it's no big" and such.

Tough luck, Lars.

Mysterious grabbed him by the wrist and stuffed the money into the lanky teen's hand, effectively shutting him up. Then, balling that hand into a fist, he shoved it into Lars's chest, not hard enough to knock him down but enough to get the message through that mohawk-topped head.

That nonverbally said, the stranger nodded in thanks at Sadie as he took the bag, face unchanged as he silently turned to leave—only to pause on the threshold, one foot out and the other still in, free hand on the door. His head pivoted a bit to the side like something just passed by him.

"You're staring."

His concise statement moved spritely and smoothly with a faint yet smoky Latino accent that sounded like he could easily slip into singing fluid Spanish. Sadie had to fight back a blush at hearing it (not that the guilt hadn't reddened her face already—Lars's sudden suspicious stare was _not_ helping either).

"Oh! Sorry..." Sadie averted eye contact for a moment. "I just couldn't help notice that your ponytail looks like a lotus." She pointed to the back of her own curly hair, indicating what she meant. Mysterious faced her with a tilt of his head before lightly, perhaps even subconsciously, tugging at the aforementioned hairdo.

"There's this family that just moved in down the street, ya see," Sadie continued, "This old lady wears her hair a certain way, too. But I only saw her from a distance on my way to work this morning, so I never got a good look."

"Sunflower."

When Sadie and Lars blinked at the abrupt answer, Mysterious cleared his throat and spoke at a more hesitant pace, head hunched down ever so slightly. "My grandmother likes sunflowers. They're her favorite." The man scratched his nape as he readied to step out of the doorway lest he impede any other customers.

Though not before looking the pair's way one last time. "Good to see you again, Sadie."

An appreciative smile reflected back. "You too, Kurtis."

On that note, the male—Kurtis—departed, hardly noticing (and caring about) Lars stuttering as he demanded an answer from Sadie about how she knew 'that guy'.

Neither did he notice a pudgy kid with a red shirt and curly black hair speed past him and into the shop.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Evening that same day, a few miles outside of town, a massive bear-like shadow trudged through the woods, something small and spherical in between their teeth, a slight glint catching off from the light of sunset.

Today had been a hard day's work, and this giant was looking towards a well-earned—

 ** _BOOM!_**

WHAT THE—the ground _shook_ from what sounded like two big somethings landing nearby, tons of birds fluttering from their tree-bound perches in panic. With ginger steps, Shadow Giant approached the source of the disturbance until they reached a sizable clearing.

Then needed a double-take at the sight of two large pickup trucks lodged into the soil—one brown, one green—both battered and dented like soda cans from touchdown.

Wow. Shadow Giant just shook their head, speechless.

Humans came up with the strangest uses for their vehicles.


	3. Watching You

**Note: Takes place on the end of the first week after "Back to the Barn"**

* * *

Kiki sure liked to know how she got herself into this situation.

Not that she meant this out of incredulity or frustration (even though she's feeling plenty of the second at the moment).

Just the simple curiosity that comes with living in a town like Beach City.

Because playing a card game with her grandma for lunch break: nah, that's family routine.

The absence of her father (out in the front arguing with Mr. Fryman—again—over something) and twin sister (out in the back checking her phone and/or chatting up with Buck and Sour Cream): also family routine.

Playing a card game with the new neighbors' dog: not family routine. For the time being anyway.

Especially when said dog was creaming her like a pro! Seriously, Kiki could not describe with words the speed at which this pooch had been emptying her own hand (or paw in this case). Nanefua seemed to be holding up better by comparison, if just barely judging by the elder's concentrated frown and scrunched brow.

How the Flores pulled off training their pet to be this good, Kiki hadn't the slightest idea. And forget asking her grandma; the family loved her but that lady operated on a whole other level.

Not that the pizza heiress had any mind to complain. Sparky made for surprisingly sociable, let alone sanity-preserving, company in the past few days. And not in the traditional cute-little-doggy-distracting-you-from-life's-annoyances-with-kisses either.

Case in point: a customer from out of town _really_ wore down Kiki's patience yesterday and Kiki, not wanting to burden her folks with her woes, elected to dump her feelings on Sparky instead since the dog had been nearby.

Oddly instinctive? Yes, but something about the look in those big round black eyes, against all logic, assured the twin that the canine would drop everything just to listen to her—which she did.

Besides, Kiki couldn't have brought herself to shoo the cute little yellow bugger away from the restaurant when the young woman caught her laying on the backdoor step, even with Kofi's daily warnings about health regulations at the back of her mind.

Damn those literal puppy-dog eyes and her weakness for those of the canine persuasion!

That bouquet of roses Sparky carried by mouth had not helped either.

Still touching, though. Kind of excessive but touching.

At least Mr. Flores sounded cool with the situation when Kiki called him over the phone minutes ago, which was a lot more than the young lady could say for her father once _he_ found out about their uncalled-for 'visitor'. Apparently Sparky had a history of hanging out with the neighbors from time to time.

In other words, nice timing on the argument, Mr. Fryman (no sarcasm intended).

Just as well. Kofi aside, the Pizzas were more than happy to let the Flores family dog hang out with them outside business hours.

Speaking of the Flores, Kiki sidled her sight to the rightmost card just in time for her peripherals to notice Kurtis step into the restaurant. The pizza heiress gave a polite wave, as did Nanefua; the Native American-Latino returned an acknowledging nod.

Without a glance, Sparky raised a paw up at her boy despite the teen's silence before, with a smug wag of the tail, slapping her final card onto the table. Nanefua perked both eyebrows in amazement while Kiki double-checked her cards in disbelief then back at the one her canine opponent just laid down.

With a defeated sigh, the young woman released her hands, cards raining upon the table in shared resignation. That's the last time _she_ ever challenges this dog to Crazy Eights. She stood up and stretched her legs, ready to get back to work.

Only to suddenly freeze at the feel of something patting her leg. Kiki shifted her eyes downward; oh, it was Sparky...and she's raising a forepaw up towards her with a 'I'm honored to have fought you' grin, waiting for a handshake.

Kiki accepted the gesture without hesitation, even threw in a smile cause why the heck not?

As if she never saw weirder.

"Good game."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _She seems to be doing well._

 _What did ya expect? She's a tough little firebug._

 _Heh, that she is. Still, it feels wrong that we haven't dropped by even once._

 _You're not suggestin' we confront her_ now, _right?_

 _Of course not. Otherwise we'll risk a repeat of Rose's mistake._

 _Well, you're not totally wrong. We definitely can't avoid each other forever. This is a small town, ya know._

 _True. Fortunately, that's going to be an easy path to reach. After the Cluster is dealt with, of course._

A tall busty figure atop the lighthouse hill arose to her feet, silhouetted by the receding sunlight, yellow bubble in hand.

 _Shall we then?_

 _We shall._

The figure cast one last glance at the cozy cluster of buildings.

"Take care, friend."

Then leapt back home.


	4. Confirmation

**Note: Takes place during s** **econd week after "Back to the Barn"; day of "Too Far")**

* * *

Contrary to semi-popular belief, Ronaldo Fryman is _the_ ultimate expert on logical fallacies.

Strawmen, slippery slopes, anecdotal, ad hominem: you name it, he knows it. (Seventy-nine point four percent of the time, but who's calculating?)

Cause let's be honest, when you're a seeker of the truth and got enemies blocking you at every turn, you need any bit of info you can get (farfetched or otherwise). So if the rock people and their sympathizers want to play dirty, Ronaldo will gladly return the favor.

Fortunately, the workers/denizens of Fish Stew Pizza know him well, so there's no chance of drawing suspicion here. Besides, they have the best Wi-Fi.

Fingers steepled beneath the chin under the pretense of examining the screen of his laptop, he subtly zeroes his sights on the target, who's seated by a window across the room from the blogger. "Hmm, subject seems to be reading what appears to be a novel," began Ronnie as he typed down observations, "quite possibly a disguised report from his superiors."

That would explain the reflexive cover up in response to passersby.

Or embarrassment. The subject _does_ give the air of someone who keeps things close to the chest... _which would be the perfect attitude for someone under the rock people's control!_

Ahem.

Plus, there'd been some weird lights cropping up in the forests around town every now and then, their beginnings correlating with the Flores moving back here, which could _not_ be a coincidence. Something was up with this family and someone had to figure that something out one way or another.

Cue chin rub!

Hmm, maybe that old lady knows some secrets; Ronaldo could not recall ever seeing her the last time the Flores lived here—he jolts out of his thoughts at the sound of the chair in front of him scraping back then in, Kurtis's stoic face staring him down like a judge, glasses gleaming from the overhead lights like obsidian.

 _Damn it, I took my eyes off him!_

Time for plan B: clear the throat with an authoritative air and plaster on the perfect poker face, hands clasped back together in aloofness.

"Can _I_ help you?" Ah yes, dragging out the pronoun always adds a dash of 'one step ahead'-ness to one's demeanor. Now just to wait, stay cool, and watch this sympathizer fall apart at realizing his masters' plans have gone all—

"Wrong."

Oh...well _that_ flat-toned answer has ruined Ronaldo's thunder for sure. The theorist scrunches his face, at a lost. "Uh..."

His stupor only extends after a book, its front cover an image of a kid's feet in mid-run, plops onto the table: Maniac Maggie. Less sophisticated of a cover up than Ronaldo anticipated. You'd think the allies of rock people would have more dignity.

Looking back up, he perks an incredulous eyebrow at Kurtis before crossing his arms like a ward, huffing. This suspect will have to do better than this to knock _him_ off the scent.

The moment Ron opens his mouth to deliver a discourse about the foolishness of helping enslave humanity, the darker male raises a finger to his own lips in a shushing manner, returns the book to the handbag, and stands up. With a tilt of the head, he gestures the chubbier teen to follow.

"Boardwalk."

To talk? Out in the open? Okay our shrugging hero can deal with that. Still, he points two fingers at his own eyes then to Kurtis before gathering his own stuff and following the other teen outside.

Minutes later, the boys are sitting on the edge of the wooden planks, feet dangling over the warm sands, the caws of seagulls and lull of the ocean the soundtrack to this conversation. Kurtis had removed his glasses, revealing dark piercing eyes that gaze out to the cloudy blue sky over the waters. Running a hand through his hair, he inhales deeply and slowly as though bracing himself then starts.

The following conversation turns out as eventful as you expect.

Ronaldo would often bolt up with victorious fists into the air, blurting "I KNEW IT!", before going quiet at Kurtis's unamused glare (geez, the guy looked imposing without his glasses) and sometimes everyone else's befuddled stares from further away, too.

At one point, the potato heir, gasping, gets in the other male's face, hands balled from the excitement of whatever revelation became clear, eyes sparkling in anticipation, while Kurtis leaned back from the invasion of personal space. Ronaldo's voice comes out hushed to prevent any further eavesdroppers. "So my theory _was_ right!"

At the surprised look tossed his way, Ronaldo adjusts his own glasses with a knowing smirk, chill demeanor back in place. "I commend you and your folks for keeping this under wraps. Your cover was pretty sound; no match for my keen observational skills, though."

He pauses to note Kurtis' slightly expanded eyes. With no small amount of pride, by the way.

"Plus, there's been an interesting increase in electrical storms. Nowhere in Beach City, mind you, but definitely throughout Delmarva and most of the surrounding states." He angled his body in a smug manner, eyes staring down his peer. "Sound familiar?"

No answer besides Kurtis looking away with a thoughtful hum—and staying that way. Ronaldo cranes his head at the other boy's expression before looking away, feeling more awkward the longer the silence continued. This moment does not feel like the triumph he'd been hoping for.

Way too casual, way too quiet, way too calm, way too... _normal_.

Any wonder then why the blogger starts fidgeting, mind reaching for straws at this point. Anything was better than Kurtis's lack of reply. "Buuut...if on the off chance I'm mistaken by your allegiance and you're willing to prove so, I _could_ drop the charges."

As expected, that offer earns an incredulous stare. Finally, a response.

"So what do you say?"

After a few more moments of Stare-down Central, Kurtis reluctantly nods.

Just the answer Ronaldo needs. With new vigor, he launches up to his feet with bright eyes and enthusiastic fists. "Then meet me at the lighthouse by six," like a comet he takes off, shouting over his shoulder, "and make sure to bring your informant with you!"

As the blogger dashes into the not-yet sunset, Kurtis shakes his head with a wry frown. Talk about a quick one-eighty. Quite a piece of work, that guy. A glance of the watch confirmed now to be 3:26 PM—plenty of time to head back home and check on the family before heading out.

Whether _all_ of the family would be present, hopefully that probability would turn out as a reality. Otherwise Ronaldo's time of contact would have to wait another day—and wowie, would _that_ be a fun rant to sit down to.

Returning the glasses to their proper place, Kurtis turns the direction Ronaldo went to walk back home.

"Ya know, for someone who wants nothing to do with Ronaldo, you really _are_ goin' out of your way to get 'im off your back."

Huh? Kurtis pauses and gazes towards the source—and scowls once he does: Jenny.

More specifically Jenny leaning back next to the entrance to Fish Stew, legs and arms crossed with more coolness than the Arctic. Kurtis edges his glasses down his nose, eyes discerning the girl's empathetic smirk with skepticism.

The twin raises her hands in acquiescence, a surprise in itself considering her usual in-your-face attitude. "Just sayin'. The more you prove or disprove him, the more interested in you he's gonna get."

Kurtis readjusts his glasses with a huff then the strap of his bag before walking away. The 'concern' was touching but unwarranted. If Ronaldo remained anything like back then, tiding him over with a little confirmation will spare Kurtis and his family a world of headaches in the long run.

He has no idea.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Speaking of having no idea...

What the frack are those three doing in the Kindergarten?

Hmm, better take a closer look. A hop there, a hop over here...ah, this spot will do nicely!

Huh, appears as if they're doing something to that old injector. Are Amethyst and that human kid trying to dismantle it?

That green one—might be a Peridot, but looks awfully short for one—isn't doing much besides speaking into something in her hand.

Some talking, some more talking, a couple of laughs—actually, that Peridot's the only one laughing now. And now she's showing the others this hole where the wall opposite this hiding spot meets the ground.

Even from way up here, the sudden tension in Amethyst's shoulders is palpable.

You'd think that Peridot would be smarter about ticking off a— _Whoa._

Whiplash with a bit more than necessary aggression; straight through that drill, too: yep, angry smol Quartz.

Hopefully, if Amethyst still associates with _them,_ then no worries for the Peridot and the kid. If not...

...

Best keep an eye on them for now.


	5. Unwanted Reminders

**Note: Takes place the morning "Steven Floats" ends**

* * *

 _Need...to...want to...have to..._

 _—_ _form. Terra Batch J27-13 is now ready for briefing and commission. Notifying Blue Spinel to prepare orientation for—_

 _Cabochon-2F4B, Unit-2713: your designation. You will do well to remember—_

 _—_ _that and everything else. Of course, even you should be capable of handling some—_

 _—_ _life we got, eh? But hey someone's gotta do the icky—_

 _Worthless blob! Make yourself useful and seal this up before my—_

 _—_ _Diamond has selected you for a special assignment. Your assigned destination is on—_

 _—_ _just another garbage planet. It'll probably wound up dead long before you can get there. I still don't understand why—_

 _You're the ones they're sending with me? O-kay then, I suppose—_

 _—_ _it's alright. I guess I can see why you like—_

 _—_ _defending it, miss? This one knows the mistake it made! Please—_

 _—_ _don't try to fight back, any of you! They'll just—_

 _I don't know, backstab us probably! The fact it hasn't happened yet is all the more reason to be careful, R—_

 _—_ _trusts you, and I trust her judgment, so why not?_

 _—_ _because you can't expect mercy from them because of your Gem type! Just...take care to—_

 _—_ _TAKE MY HAND, AM—_

 _BZKKKTTTTT!_

 _..._

 _...hurt...pain...hurt...someone...stop...hurt...help...someone..._

 _...rip...slash...tear...Rip...Slash...Tear..._

 _..._

 _RIPSLASHTEAR, RIPSLASHTEAR, RIPSLASHTEAR, RIPSLASHTEARRIPSLASHTEAR RIPSLASHTEARRIPSLASHTEAR—_

 _BZZZZKKKKKKTTTTTTTT!_

 _..._

 _..._

 _...Are you there?_

 _..._

 _Don't give up._

 _..._

 _You're going to be okay._

 _I promise._

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 ** _Kaw! Kaw-Kaw!_**

For the fourth morning in a row, Shadow Giant startled awake at the raspy call of a blasted crow. They grunted in groggy awareness before standing up on four paws and giving their spine a nice lithe stretch.

As usual, REM sleep proved a cruel lady mutt. Ah, the benefits of sentience.

 _Oh well,_ the furry giant cricked their neck, maw wide open in a yawn that revealed sharp teeth, _I'm plenty awake now. Better get today rolling._

Starting with coffee, lots and lots of coffee.

And marshmallows, the big fluffy kind that barely fit in the cup and went great with graham crackers, kind of like a drinkable s'more. That is, as long as Uma and Marcus hadn't pigged out on the pillowy sweets first.

Otherwise there was gonna be _Words._

Lips smacking to dispel any lingering dryness in their mouth, Shadow Giant ambled through the tree-laden shadows, speckles of light revealing golden fur here and there, leaves crunching under their paws.

A nice place to take a nap— at least when you resemble a large forest predator. Their 'talents' may have had something to do with the peace and quiet, too, not that they would dare use them here. Fortunately, none of the wildlife possessed that level of stupidity, something they wished they could likewise say about the occasional wandering humans.

Upon exiting the forest, they squinted when the morning sunlight fully assaulted their striped face. Noon's still in coming, plenty of time for a brisk walk (assuming nothing major would happen in the meantime).

Beyond the corner of their eye, something pink bounded this way...


	6. A Word Please?

**Note: Takes place the evening "Steven Floats" ends**

* * *

"MARCUS!"

A wheelchair-bound male with deep tan skin, balding black hair, a mahogany vest, dark brown jacket and shoes, and black jeans paused tending to the jasmines and peeked an eye over his shoulder at the entrance to the family flower shop.

Rotating to about-face, Marcus smirked at the visitor's identity, thick square eyebrow perked at his scowling new neighbor of the past few weeks—and mentally sighed in relief at the animal brought in by said neighbor.

A thinner, darker skinned man with an upward pizza-shaped topknot stomped into the spacious room, footsteps echoing against the burgundy tiled floor. He held in his hands a familiar canine whose long golden fur shimmered in the fading evening sunlight streaming through the display windows.

Marcus remained unfazed as the man reached him.

"Yes, Koko?" he asked in a smooth bouncy Peruvian accent.

The Ghanaian fellow lacked the mood for pet names as he held the animal away from himself at arm's length as though handling radioactive material, fingers avoiding the dog's underbelly lest he risk bite marks again. Once he promptly plopped the canine into the flower man's lap, 'Koko' deepened his displeased expression and stuck an irate finger at Marcus, voice low and brisk and threatening.

"Your dog was in my kitchen, harassing my daughters and my mother!"

"Harassing": now _there_ was a new word to add to the ever-growing 'Flores Book of Exaggerated Misdemeanors'. Marcus absently started scratching in between his dog's ears, the canine quite content with both the attention and her current location's warmth despite the forced removal earlier.

Right then, the Peruvian's nose caught the faint scent of ozone, partnered with the fading tenseness in the canine's shoulders.

 _The marshmallows must be all gone_ , he realized with a cringe. _Note to self: tell Kurtis ta add that ta the grocery list._

Meanwhile, Kofi's rant raged on. "I do not even know how she got in my restaurant in the first place!"

"Hmm," Marcus sidled his eyes for a second, not entirely sure what his neighbor expected for an answer. "Rrrrandom kindness?"

Again, Kofi radiated no amusement.

Before the Ghanaian could continue his tirade, a ringtone set to the tune of Davey Yonder's "Saturn" interrupted the conversation. Raising his left index finger to get a moment, Marcus pulled out his dark red cellphone and placed it to his ear.

"Helloooo? Oh yeah, I can put ya on speaker. Un momento."

A switch to the proper button later, he was holding his phone out, face set at Kofi with an expression full of 'Oh, you in troubllllle', while the familiar voice of a certain Jenny Pizza bounced from the screen, bludgeoning her father with all her teen fury.

"Dad, leave Mr. Flores alone! Sparky was standing in front of the entrance lookin' all sad and tired and you're always gettin' on our case about animals hanging around where either the customers can see them or the food's in reach, so I let her in from the back door. 'Sides, Kurtis told you straight up the day they moved here that she's the cleanest, best-behaved dog this side of Beach City, and when has _Kurtis_ ever lied to you?"

Okay, those were all valid points, but still! "Young lady— "

"Ugh! Look, Sparky wasn't even getting anywhere near the customers _or_ the food. She was just hanging out with Nanefua and you _know_ how good Nanefua is with dogs."

"Well the last time someone let her in— "

"Yeah, Pops, I remember what happened last time." The eye roll in Jenny's tone could not have been more palpable. "To be fair, though, if I were a dog and saw you marching at me with a death glare, I would've been branding an axe like crazy, too."

"Tomahawk, Kiki," a similar female voice stated in the background with a deadpan tone. Marcus could easily picture the dismissive hand wave Jenny was tossing her sister.

Meanwhile Kofi's left eyelid twitched uncontrollably. This was _not_ the familial support he sought for; then again after all these years as the father of this family, should he be surprised anymore? His growing headache readily agreed.

Now there are times to feel pity for someone, and for Marcus, seeing his pizza-centric acquaintance bulge his eyes out like a squishy stress doll, vein on the left temple about ready to burst, made now look pretty damn appropriate.

After giving a hasty goodbye to Jenny as well as thanks for looking after his furry family member, he ended the call and returned the phone to his pocket. He put one hand on Kofi's stressed shoulder while gently gesturing to the rest of the store with the other.

"Wanna take time ta talk over a drink before ya head back? You been lookin' more frazzled than usual."

Kofi stepped out of the Peruvian's hold and stuck a hand out like a ward against his neighbor's aggravating sincerity. Sometimes he swore this man (the whole family, actually) lived on another planet. "Just...keep your dog on a leash, Flores. I'm not speaking in her defense if she lands herself in the pound."

 _Pound?_ Blinking, Marcus scratched his faint goatee and matching moustache with a thoughtful hum, eyes going narrow. "Ehhh, considering dogs don't typically disappear before your very eyes, I wouldn't count on anybody's ability to keep this lightning bug in one place, let alone in a building full of metal. Believe me, we've tried."

And one near-flood from the Beach City water tower was enough reason to think twice.

At wits' end, Kofi simply threw his hands up with a huff of defeat and sulked out the door.

"Look on the bright side, Kofi," Marcus called out in a last-ditch effort to make the peace, "your mother's made a new friend!"

No glass could block out Kofi's heavenward moan.

Or Sparky's whine. Actually, now that Marcus took a closer look, the yellow dog seemed pretty exhausted—not just physically, but emotionally as well.

Out of concern, the man held the canine closer to his chest.

 _Make that a ton of marshmallows._


	7. Lovable Goof

**Note: Takes place on the evening "Steven Floats" ends**

* * *

 _What an idiot._

No, not 'idiot'. Not anymore perhaps. The word implied stupidity that met expectations.

All of which Ronaldo Fryman surpassed. He embodied stupidity the likes of which this planet, and perhaps galaxy, had never seen. Not so much for the universe as Kurtis felt pretty confident the Crystal Gems more than likely had met beings that could top the blogger in that department no problem.

In terms of this town, though, Ronaldo had no equal. Except maybe Lars on occasion.

Okay, definitely Lars.

Which brings into question why Kurtis himself, someone already three-fourths through his Programming degree and who earned among the top ten highest GPAs in high school, associated with someone like the over-excitable Fryman heir, especially after the theorist purposely pursued him and his family to "expose their true identity as followers of the rock people" throughout their first two weeks here.

Yeah, not fun.

As someone who lived in Beach City before, the aspiring astronomer remembered well Ronaldo's childhood interest in aliens and the paranormal and, upon running into him after the Flores family moved back, recognized that it transformed into an obsession over the years—and an intense one at that.

Because five minutes in Ronaldo's presence was more than enough to realize how much of a bad idea associating with him could prove. No, Kurtis didn't give a damn about fitting in like Lars did. That desire died out after Lydia...um—anyway he had responsibilities to fulfill so life could be easier for his folks.

Who had time for the social quo when there's important work to be done?

 _So why let this guy, of all people, walk home with me?_

For starters, one could argue Ronaldo had a way of inviting chaos and if there's one lesson Kurtis's learned from both his talks with Sadie and Kiki and interactions with the blogger himself, Ronaldo knew how to be a force of nature, especially where the 'truth' was involved.

There's also that by some ironic twist of fate, Ronaldo happened to hang around Kurtis's haunts, both old and new. Namely the flower shop, the Big Donut, Funland Arcade, and even the peak that overlooked Beach City—or 'Morning Hill' as Uma liked to call it.

So avoiding the blogger: nice try but no, particularly since Ronaldo, even after that talk on the boardwalk and the subsequent fateful meet between the two boys and a certain Gem, singled Kurtis out for a discussion buddy on sight.

Every. Single. Time.

Apparently one time had not been enough to satisfy that craving for the abnormal.

Except when he called Ronaldo out on this habit yesterday, the blonde had paused in his simultaneous pizza consumption and laptop typing and cheerily replied: "Cuz arguing with you guys is fun!"

Oh.

Well, shit. Jenny was right.

 _Shouldn't have called him out on that banana slug theory._ Or any other theory after that. Too late. _Well, I suppose I couldn't have ended up with worse._ Because having Ronaldo in his room, big butt in his favorite computer chair, while the theorist's mouth raged on was as worse as worse got.

"The big red eyeball from last year, the giant monster attacks, the hand in the sky, the lightning storms, and now all these earthquakes and those 'unexplained' pieces of fruit on the shore: they all gotta point to the Great Diamond Authority somehow!"

Seated on his bed, decked in a black muscle shirt and baggy grey pajama pants, Kurtis stroked his sparse moustache and goatee in patient wonder. Partially at how Ronaldo's latest theory fit with all the strange goings-on the Flores family had noticed after the move; partially at the fact that Uma invited the blogger into their house without batting an eye.

At least Ronaldo had been nice enough to help out with the groceries while he babbled on. That and Dad openly encouraged Kurtis to interact with 'somebody his mindset'. The youngest Flores decided to take that advice as a hint at an opportunity—for what, he was not entirely sure but willing to wait and find out.

So for right now, he resigned himself to listening. No telling if there'd be new information to use later on; plus, if memory served correctly, Ronaldo either threw a hissy fit or closed himself off whenever no one took his words seriously.

A frustrated sigh broke Kurtis's train of thought.

Ronaldo had twisted around so he sat backwards, arms draped over the back of the chair, eyes skyward in perplexity. "What _I_ don't get is why. What would the Authority want with Steven and the Crystal Gems?" He shrugged at his curious peer, one hand gestured in confusion. "I mean yeah, their presence attracts a lot of monsters, but they never go out of their way to be an actual threat."

Aside from the occasional property damage, but even that improved with time. Marginally.

Kurtis tilted his head with searching eyes. "Refugees?"

"Maybe...but Steven's only been alive for so long. Otherwise more people would know about it." Memories of that day at the hill flashed back. "Maybe we're not the only ones in the dark about all this. He lives with them, so he's gotta know at least something but—"

"Not everything."

Ronaldo snapped his fingers as if to say 'bingo'. "Exactly." His head tilted up to be eye level with the other teen, determination evident on his face. "Hey, do you think Amber could tell us a bit more?"

Good question. Kurtis pursed his lips, deep in thought.

Ronaldo, impatient for an answer, abruptly leaned forward into Kurtis's personal bubble and pulled...ugh, _that_ face. That hammy bright-eyed one that likened him to someone out of a niche-induced anime, just like the faces the kids Kurtis babysat would use...only much worse and much harder to resist.

" _Please?_ "

With a terse sigh, the young florist placed a comforting hand on Ronaldo's left shoulder and pulled the same trustworthy face that won the trust of countless adults. "I'll try."

Amber had been pretty open about all this Gem stuff, after all. Even with Ronaldo.

Regardless, Kurtis retreated his hand to cover a light yawn. It was getting late. "You heading home?"

Ronaldo suddenly tensed and adopted an oddly meek frown, a sight that set an alarm off in the young florist's head. Taking caution to keep his face neutral, the blogger, eyes off into space, carefully weighed his next words.

"My mom's in town."

Oh. Kurtis rubbed his nape, self-conscious for once. "Your dad and Peedee?"

"Dad's dealt with her before so he's seen all her tricks; he's also got your dad's number so he can call for backup, and I think Peedee's at a 'welcome-back-home' sleepover at Steven's place."

Then all the bases were covered apparently. Kurtis tried not to appear too relieved at that, instead crossing his arms to appear indifferent; he semi-succeeded, judging by the other male's expectant gaze. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "The lighthouse?"

Ronaldo's shake was as firm and serious as death, the expression on his face so unlike anything Kurtis expected from the normally upbeat teen it almost startled him. "No, which is how I wanna keep it. It's another reason I'm here; you're good at keeping secrets."

The statement inspired a skeptic look from Kurtis. "Not Lars?"

Ronaldo shrugged. "I don't think he'd rat me out if that's what I think you think I'm thinking."

Uh huh. Kurtis nonchalantly stood up to fetch a bottle of water and a snack. This conversation was far from its conclusion, he could tell, so best get something for the meantime.

The distant sound of the television news echoed from downstairs.

"Wait, Kurtis!" Ronaldo reached a needy hand out as he stood up from the chair, stumbling a bit from the still-swirling chair swiveling into his backside. "What about our search for the truth?"

Kurtis paused on the open threshold and eyed over his shoulder at the theorist in surprise, a bit touched Ronaldo considered him a partner in all this. Anyway, he was just leaving for a few minutes to get stuff to help pass the time, not going out into space. With a short genuine chuckle, Kurtis stuck a hand out to indicate his associate relax then pointed to the closet in the corner.

"A sleeping bag is in there."

Short answers get short looks, especially irrelevant ones. Ronaldo, crossing his arms, turned away and huffed with indignation worthy of a Fryman. "You're lucky I consider you a trusted member of this paranormal investigation team." Then shot a haughty smirk back. "Otherwise, you'd be missing out on quality enlightenment."

When his 'partner' perked an amused eyebrow, Ronaldo wagged a finger in reproach, tsk-tsk clicking from his lips. "Don't forget you owe me. I cleared you and your family two weeks ago—and with reasonable proof of innocence, I might add."

'Legendary' defined Kurtis's deadpan stare perfectly. "You geeked out over Amber recharging your laptop with her tongue."

"Because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for scientific data!"

Best not to give a verbal response to that (not that there _could_ be any). Instead Kurtis held back the urge to chuckle any further lest he end up hurting the blogger's feelings, an effort manifested in a minute snort. The amusement settled down when he noticed Ronaldo twiddling his fingers, looking to be on the verge of asking something else.

When Kurtis cleared his throat at a soft volume, Ronaldo almost flinched in response but caught himself. "Um by the way, is it okay if I can use your charger for my laptop?" His eyes focused on Kurtis's, twinkling with nervous anticipation. "I've got the first season of Koala Princess on DVD and I was wondering if you'd like to check it out."

Silence. Short yet decisive silence.

Ronaldo's shoulders started to sag at the ensuing look of wonder. "It's fine if that's not your thing, I just figured since what we're doing sorta qualifies as hanging out, we'd take a break."

"Okay."

"Yeah, I figured I've shoved enough stuff in your face so"—Ronaldo double-took at Kurtis, eyes disbelieving. "Wait, you're serious?!" A simple nod constituted Kurtis's reply, as did Ronaldo's rebounding enthusiasm as the theorist balled his fists with a starry-eyed gasp. "A-Alright! Uh, I'll get my stuff set up and you can handle the food!"

Well, that moment didn't last long. While the blogger flew around the room in search of his precious technology, Kurtis could only shake his head with a wry smirk as he resumed leaving the room.

Yeah, Ronaldo Fryman is still an idiot.

 _But_ he's an idiot with heart.


	8. Telltale

**Note: Takes place the second afternoon after "Steven Floats"**

* * *

Pearl was beside herself.

And considering what she's seen and lived through during her long existence, that was no small wonder.

Ever since they saw the morning news about a small 'freak electrical storm' a few miles off Interstate 95 that lasted from mid-afternoon to late evening yesterday, its end around the same time as Steven's 'Welcome Home' slumber party with Connie and the younger of the Fryman children, the Crystal Gems had been investigating.

Not that this wasn't the first time the CGs noticed such bizarre 'acts of nature'...

Nevertheless, the fact that whatever happened apparently took place at the Kindergarten did not ease the lean gem's concern. Steven and Connie, the latter eager to get into the field after weeks of self-practice, asked if they could come along after Pearl explained her reason for cutting this morning's lesson short.

Pearl half-considered turning down the request, not because she doubted the kids' fighting capabilities but rather felt uncomfortable leaving Beach City vulnerable in the event that the cause of this recent 'storm' attracted something worse near the humans. So per Garnet's suggestion, Steven and Connie were instead patrolling the town's perimeters atop Lion, close enough to alert their teammates at the temple in case some fighting would have to occur.

Hopefully that possibility would not come to pass.

Anyway, back to the present.

Before Pearl laid what she could only describe as the aftermath of a cross between a tussle amongst wildlife and a lightning storm meeting the earth up close and personal.

Giant scratch marks up and down the walls (some single, others in threes), sizable chunks of wall and floor strewn all over amongst burn marks of various sizes, smoke revealing the freshness of the incident responsible. Equally massive paw and claw prints strewn this way and that. Most suspicious of all: no sign of broken gemstones anywhere, a typical casualty of such fights if the evidence fit.

In her hands she held what she recognized (with no small amount of survivor's guilt) as a purple variant of her own Gem type, the stone sealed under a thick skin of hardened yellow resin. She found this one under the shelter of a nearby outcropping of rocks, a spot safe from the sight of any curious animals that might have wandered through here.

Not that many animals (or organics for that matter) ever dared to venture into this desolate place.

"Yo, Pierogi!"

So lost in her thoughts, Pearl started at the call of her shorter teammate, who she found standing a good distance away. Garnet passed a comment about 'someone walking away from there' just before everyone split up; sounds like Amethyst found the evidence. After bubbling the object (the resin broke away from the inside out) and whisking it away to the Burning Room, Pearl hurried over with dainty steps.

"What did you find?"

The purple gem thumbed behind herself at a trail of huge paw prints that, upon closer inspection, perfectly matched the tri-numbered claw marks. Pearl crossed her arms and tapped her chin in suspicion once she realized the last set appeared to shrink before...stopping?

Ice-blue eyes narrowing at them as well as the lack of roasted dirt in this spot, Pearl tapped her chin. "That's odd. No gem creature could have disappeared so smoothly in mid-run."

Amethyst flipped a white bang out of her visible eye. "Looks like _this_ one did. Ya think it was...?"

Could this have been—Pearl shook her head in disbelief. After so long, the answer seemed unreal yet what alternative could there be to all this?

"Okay," the former servant finally stated with hands akimbo, "let's say this _was_ a corrupted Gem. It leaves its opponent neatly disposed for us to collect it afterward, has its prints swerve into the canyon as though it were herding the other into a trap, _and_ those bolts were more than noticeable."

Amethyst nodded, fully agreeing.

This scene was _way_ too planned out. And the most concerning part?

In sync, Pearl and Amethyst trailed their vision in the direction the prints pointed: straight towards Beach City.

The two Crystals shared a look—worried on Pearl's end; interested on Amethyst's—and nodded before hurrying back to the warp pad.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What do you _mean_ everything is fine?!"

"Everything is fine," Garnet affirmed in her usual monotone to her slimmer teammate's exclamation.

"Yeah!" Steven chirped while Connie nodded behind him, still dressed in her training outfit, Rose's giant carnation sword sheathed on her back. "Whoever Garnet saw coming this way, maybe they changed their mind and decided to go somewhere else."

"Maybe they're even hiding somewhere nearby," Connie added in a measured tone.

Pearl's face contorted at the children disbelievingly. "Amongst the humans? Even if it—um they _do_ have some degree of intelligence, blending in with the people here would require an unprecedented amount of cunning and deception. None of the gem creatures we've encountered are capable of that."

At a pointed look from Steven and a warning growl from Lion who sat lounging on the Quartz child's bed, Pearl hastily cleared her throat with a blush. "Well, aside from obvious exceptions."

Connie furrowed her eyebrows in a passionate way, even while the volume of her voice remained even. "Well, what if the gem creature _does_ have that degree of intelligence? Maybe they just wanted to help out."

Garnet adjusted her glasses, lips pursed decisively, then turned to Amethyst and Pearl. "You said you saw signs of a struggle there. Were there burn marks as well?"

Amethyst finished picking her ear and affirmatively bobbed her head. "Yep, just like last time."

Pearl noticed the wondering gaze on Steven and Connie's faces. "Similar incidents started millennia ago, a few decades after Homeworld fled Earth and a while before we found Amethyst. The first and only time we saw the creature with our own eyes, she was fighting another corrupted gem."

"And she won...barely," Garnet continued. "Rose captured her afterwards, except we never saw the bubble. She never said, and we never thought much of it. At least until centuries later, when we noticed a lightning storm near Beach City. Rose insisted we stay behind."

A heavy sigh passed Pearl's lips. "We followed her naturally. We were worried."

Amethyst crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "By the time we caught up, we found her in the Strawberry Fields with a bubbled Gem," she looked away for a moment, face softened with an odd air of solemnity, "all quiet and sad. Without a scratch, too." Her dark eyes shifted up to the kids. "By then Garnet and Pearl figured out why she was there."

Pearl set her hands akimbo as her gem projected an electric-blue hologram of one of the islands that surrounded the field.

"Beyond the Strawberry Field is one of many computer terminals originally used for historical records, including past military campaigns," then the image shifted into a slim yet tall-looking hexagonal prism set on its back with smaller triangular prisms extending from the lower sides.

"We pilfered them during the Rebellion before our enemy could delete the data so we could be a step ahead. However, while any Gem could access these terminals, only certain types could directly interact with the data, let alone modify it."

Steven cocked his head. "Like who?"

Garnet, as expected, gave a succinct answer. "An Amber, for example."

"And the Gem she had in her hands," Pearl added, "was _not_ one. That's when we finally saw her again, after all this time...but the moment we did, she disappeared in a flash of light."

Connie suddenly adopted a worried look, childhood memories and facts from her gemology book— _resin, yellow, electricity, solar plexus—_ mixing with the evidence to coalesce into a single picture in her mind's eye.

"Um," she fiddled with the end of her braid, "and where do you think this Gem she let go is now?"

Amethyst rolled her eyes with a playful, though not unkind, smirk. "Uh, besides the flower shop that popped up while we were at the barn?" She caught the incoming question in Connie's eyes. "You and Greg mentioned 'em at Stevo's birthday party, remember?"

Oh right. Our Indian swordfighter blushed at forgetting that part.

"Rose had some history with the people there, so if anyone is bound to be harboring a Gem," Pearl added, finger pointed upward in a matter of fact manner, "they're as good a start as any."

Connie was afraid of that.

"And what's the plan for if she _is_ there?" Steven could not help asking slowly, somewhat nervous at hearing the answer now that he caught onto his Jam Bud's train of thought.

He never forgot his guardians' distrust of Centipeetle, and while he only met the Flores family (sans this 'Sparky' who had been absent at the time) in passing yesterday on his way to invite Peedee to the 'Welcome-Back-to Beach City' slumber party, he could already tell they were great fun-loving people, and though he knew the Crystal Gems would do nothing to hurt them, landing the family into the middle of a possible interrogation did not sound fair at all.

To both children's relief, the older Gems responded with rather sheepish stares—Pearl and Amethyst anyway. Garnet merely tilted her head down with a faint hum.

"Well," Pearl finally began, tapping her pointer fingers together, "we're hoping that we can establish our presence to her peacefully. Having no actual Gem to talk to besides Rose must have been lonesome for her, especially since your mother's, um, 'passing'."

Garnet nodded, half-smiling at how Steven eased up at Pearl's reply. "Meeting back with us might do her some good."

"And besides," Pearl continued in a more confident tone, "if she _has_ been associating with humans all this time, then we can safely assume she won't pose any threat—that is, of course, as long as no one provokes her."

Steven smiled in immeasurable relief before a thought occurred to him. While Connie had her back to them, hands seemingly busy with something, he shot his fellow Gems a curious stare. "Wait. What about Lapis and Peridot? Shouldn't they come, too?"

"Best it's only us," Pearl gestured a hand out, palm up, "The smaller the group, the better. But _don't_ worry. We'll leave a note for in case they come by while we're—"

"It's going to end up a full party," Garnet calmly interjected.

Pearl turned to the fusion with eyes scrunched in confusion yet before she could ask why, a blue light illuminated the room, bringing everyone's attention to the Warp Pad. Steven adeptly dashed towards it with a welcoming smile, only for said smile to wane at the irritated green Gem standing on the pad, hands posed behind her back.

"Peridot? I thought you were at the barn with Lapis."

"Lazuli has finally expressed an interest in Camp Pining Hearts. However," her emerald eyes narrowed on the half-gem, "a _source_ of mine, contrary to the discarded VHS casing I stumbled across, misinformed me on the program's airing length, and since I could not locate my quarry in the barn, I decided to take my search elsewhere, starting here."

Steven rightfully cringed. He had a feeling the technician would eventually catch onto his little white lie from weeks ago, but between the insanity of Malachite and the Cluster and everything else, the inevitability must have slipped the boy's mind.

"Oh right, sorry." Rubbing his nape, he offered a helping hand. "Uh, I can—"

Amethyst strolled right up, her easygoing grin bringing the technician's attention to her and saving the kid some slack. "Oh yeah, _that_ show. Ste-man handed the videos over ta me so we wouldn't be short on nerd-power for the drill. Watched a few, by the way." She waved a hand in a so-so manner. "Not exactly Lil' Butler but I can kinda see why yer into it."

Peridot blushed at the purple Gem's compliment, angry façade effectively ruined. "Ah," she coughed to save face, "then I surmise you know their location."

"Yep!" Pivoting on her heel, the Quartz gestured Peridot to follow. "C'mon, let's get your gooshy drama spiels back."

Phew, nice save! Steven tossed his fellow Crystal a grateful grin as Peridot passed by. However, he impeded his teammates with a concerned tone two seconds later. "Wait, Amethyst! We'll meet back up so you can meet Amber, right?"

Amethyst paused and ran a hand through her long white hair with a thoughtful frown. Hmm, she didn't want to leave Peridot hanging, but at the same time the violet whip-slinger really _did_ wanna meet this corrupted Gem Rose used to help.

Garnet gave her younger friend a faint yet comforting smile. "It's alright, Amethyst. Take your time helping Peridot. A Gem from the war would only remember me and Pearl. Rose, too." She spared a look at Steven, mindful. "Though _that_ part will need some explaining."

"Since that's the plan," Connie interjected with a smile, putting away the phone she'd been dialing in the meantime, "it's a good thing Uma knows beforehand. She doesn't take well to surprise guests." A finger tapping her shoulder made the girl pause and turn around, discovering Peridot's inquisitive stare on her.

"Is this Amber a Crystal Gem, because if she is how was I not notified of her? Second, what manner of human designation is...," her face contorted like a hamster fed a sour piece of candy, "'Uma'?"


	9. Old Friend

Lapis heard everything.

Due to some subtle sarcasm on her part, she initially suspected Peridot's attempt to introduce her to 'Camp Pining Hearts' to be another misconstrued joke. So color her curious when, during a light nap in the loft, she awoke to the sound of the green Gem's grumbling and dashing out the barn.

But hey, peace is peace, right? Except when Lapis spotted the DVD casing left behind in the open barn door and glided down to take a look, her peace went south.

Cue facepalm.

And thanks to Peridot's talkative nature, Lapis already figured out the technician's only plausible source for more content of this show: Steven.

Now, at this point in their 'friendship', Lapis already knew Peridot would do nothing to harm the boy, infuriation or not. However, she _also_ knew Peridot tended to run her mouth a bit too much, particularly around a certain purple Quartz, and if that Quartz got in her head that Lapis enjoyed the same TV show she openly cold-shouldered on a daily basis, the blue Gem would never hear the end of it.

That lovely motivation in mind, our blue grump arrived onto the porch by flight (the Warp Pad would have attracted too much attention), on the verge of knocking rather than barging in to avoid making a scene.

That's when she caught whiff of the conversation inside.

She left just as quickly, needing to see the truth for herself, if not to seek closure than at least to confirm she hadn't been hearing things.

Now here she was, standing right in front of the designated human dwelling.

And standing.

And still standing.

...Seriously, why was she still standing?

This building contained only humans, just like the other ones she saw on the way here, and reportedly one Gem in disguise. What did Lapis, who once stole the entire ocean, have to fear from the inhabitants?

 _Oh yeah, like you have the right to think yourself innocent?_ Flashes of Steven and Connie struggling to breathe flickered in her memory, chaining her in place. Humans needed oxygen. How could she have forgotten such a basic fact, even in her anger?

Maybe it'd be best if—

"If you're that nervous about going in, just ask."

Lapis nearly jumped into poofing at the aged voice, and spun to the right to discover an old diminutive human female with mahogany-brown skin and tied up gray-and-black hair smiling at her, her wrinkled face a cross between comfort and playfulness. Her clothing consisted of a purple sweater open at the front, revealing a black turtle vest with a matching knee-length skirt, and medium-brown Velcro shoes with white orthopedic socks.

"Are _you_ one of Amber's humans?" the Water Witch asked in restrained unease.

"Depends." The elder angled her head to the side in curiosity. "Are _you_ one of Amber's old friends?"

Was this human making fun of her? Lapis shook her head and, preferring not go into the details with someone she only just met, replied with a curt yes.

The elder smiled, completely unfazed by the aqua alien's cold demeanor, as she set the broom under her arm, walked up to Lapis, and opened the door with a flourish, the bells above tinkling. "Then allow me to extend welcome to Flores and Gardening, Miss Stranger."

Lapis resisted the urge to scowl at the title, so she settled for a disinterested grimace. "It's Lapis Lazuli."

"And I am Uma. It's nice to meet you."

 _Nice to meet me?_ The azure Gem blinked not so much in shock as much as in wonder. _How can she be that welcoming already?_

Lapis stored the question at the back of her mind (for now) as she followed the old human inside.

The interior looked decent enough: wide space in the center for visitors to stroll around, burgundy tiles that felt refreshingly cool against Lapis' bare feet, white walls lined with dark-brown shelves containing various tools for gardening, a wide display window to the Gem's right, and a black counter on the right that divided between the majority of the room and the space close to the shelves.

Most of all, there were flowers everywhere: flower pots lining the wall, flowers in the display window, flowers on the counter, and even the shape of the human's hair bun resembled the 'sunflowers' Lapis remembered seeing both before her time in the mirror and after her decision to remain on Earth.

So many colors, so many shapes, Lapis would have stumbled back from the sheer variety if Uma hadn't nudged the tip of the broom's handle against the water stone's back, steadying her. Lapis immediately gave a wide berth between herself and the old lady who, once again, kept smiling in that infuriatingly cool and soothing way.

"I take you've never seen flowers."

At this soft-spoken statement, Lapis scoffed—or at least tried to. Something about this human and way she effortlessly maneuvered around Lapis' defensive attitude not so much as unsettled the water-user as much as...comforted her? "I've seen _flowers_ before. Just...," her eyes panned the entire scene, "not so many in a human's living space."

"Ah, another day in the life of a florist," spoke a deep smooth voice with a rich accent Lapis could not identify. From an open doorway opposite Lapis and Uma came another human, only this one, much to the Gem's further interest, ambled into the room through use of some transport with wheels attached to it.

"Marcus Flores, at your bllllllossomin' service! To what do we owe this fine visit, Miss?" His face downturned into a thoughtful frown. "By the by, do you use," his eyebrows furrowed as he waved a hand around to jog his own memory, "female pronouns?"

Not expecting that question, Lapis blinked with eyes wide and defenses down once again before shrugging. "Uh, yeah?"

Marcus smiled triumphantly in a way that revealed his shiny white teeth and gave a thumbs-up—whether for himself or Lapis, the water stone could not tell. Either way, she broke eye contact, both out of embarrassment and how increasingly these humans kept reminding her of Steven.

Only to discover the absence of Uma at her side; the Gem's eyes soon discovered the older human at the bottom of the stairs viewable through the entrance Marcus emerged, calling for someone named 'Kurtis'.

 _Seriously, where do humans come up with all these weird names?_

The sound of footsteps brought Lapis' attention to the stairs once again, where a third human, a younger cinnamon-toned male with longer black hair and definite musculature, descended down. His clothing consisted of a black T-shirt, blue jeans, and gray shoes. Once he reached the floor, he immediately noted Lapis with the best poker face the Gem had seen from anyone besides Garnet.

Only here his eyes were visible, more piercing than any blade Lapis ever saw.

Not the best sign in Water Witch's opinion.

Fortunately, Kurtis broke eye-contact, silently nodded at Uma and proceeded into the back of the building—until three steps forwards he suddenly walked smack into thin air with a surprised 'OOMPH'. Immediately Marcus snorted, Uma instinctively bit back a tiny smile, and even Lapis turned to hide her smirk, recollective enough of this trick to recognize the culprit.

Kurtis, face full of attempted-annoyance-coming-out-as-amusement, crossed his arms over his chest and patiently tapped his right foot, waiting.

 _WHOOSH._

Right in front of the young man materialized a yellow, white under-bellied, bear-like badger that towered over him by a head and a half, a circular golden gemstone on the solar plexus. The hairy being's right paw was handling what Lapis assumed to be a container for water judging by the liquid presence she could sense inside it. She perked a questioning eyebrow at the light-green sun hat perched atop the larger Gem's head.

When Kurtis gestured his head behind himself, Amber raised her head and locked eyes with the alien visitor in question. Every photon of Lapis' body froze in time under that calm, unassuming stare, feeling like the times Blue Diamond would stare her down, only somehow more nerve-wracking.

At last, a wide genuine grin took over Amber's face, accompanied by a hearty wave. Lapis hesitantly returned the gesture, taking note of a yellow bound variety of what Steven called a 'notebook' under the other stone's left armpit, a writing utensil resting within the spiral spine. The badger put down the water vessel, switched the hat from her head to Kurtis's, side-stepped him, and entered the room after a swift duck under the doorway as her body shifted into its dog form.

Lapis crossed her arms once the furry canine, which interestingly came close to Amber's original size, stopped a foot in front of her. "You're larger than I remember."

Amber opened the notebook to a blank page, removed the pencil from the spine, and scribbled something down. Once she finished, she showed Lapis what she'd wrote.

 **You're poutier than I remember.**

A warm scoff escaped Lapis at this statement. At least no one could say this old spark-ball lost her sense of humor.

The water Gem suddenly remembered the humans around them, except none of them seemed to be paying attention to them anymore. Uma was behind the counter, talking into some kind of communication transmitter, Marcus was outside sweeping the front in the elder's place, and Kurtis was nowhere in sight, probably to store the water vessel judging by its likewise absence.

 _Good, the lack of an audience will make this less awkward._ With a sigh, Lapis mustered the best smile she could. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

Only to immediately cringe at Amber's unchanging stare.

 _'_ _See how you were doing?'_ That's _the best excuse you could think up to someone who's not only been missing for centuries but also been living with...corruption is what the others called it, right?_

Lapis hunched her shoulders in self-reprimand. "A-Ah, sorry! It's been a while and things have been," she pointedly looked away, eyes somber and heavy with memory, "rough."

Okay, best to resurrect her previous façade before the discomfort increased any further. Her view returned to Amber. "Anyway, I better get going. Some Gems you might recognize are coming by soon, so I wanted to check in on you first and get out without trouble."

Wait, why was Amber's face scrunching—and why wasn't she looking at her anymore? The following answer came in the form of more writing. Lapis got a sick feeling in her gemstone once she read the next sentence.

 **That is going to be a problem.**

"How exactly?"

On cue, the bells sounded off again.

"Hello, Lapis."


	10. A Late Welcome

Stark as ice: exactly how Garnet's greeting made Lapis feel. With gritted teeth and a mumbled 'Oh shatter me', she faced the shop's new visitors with an ill-concealed grimace.

Perfect.

Lovely.

Positively fantastic.

Apparently the universe considered Lapis' wish to have a private conversation with the last remaining Gem from her past that she considered a friend—or close to one at least—too much of a favor.

Steven's pleasant rush-hug barely perked her mood either, even while she instinctively wrapped her thin arms around the boy in return. She regarded Garnet, Pearl, Peridot, and Amethyst with a scowl, albeit a tempered one once she noticed Connie standing beside the maroon fusion with a wary expression.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Eh," Amethyst shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, once again (much to Lapis' eternal annoyance) utterly unaffected by the icy attitude, "extending hands of friendship, coming in peace, yadda, yadda, yadda," and relaxed her hands behind her head, "that sorta thing."

Pearl clapped her hands together, a touch of exasperation tainting her tone. "What Amethyst is _trying_ to say is, um"—seconds later she crossed her arms with a resigned sigh, "exactly what she said."

She pointedly ignored Amethyst's snort of amusement. "We were hoping to arrive with a smaller...," she briefly broke eye-contact with Lapis, "entourage, only Amethyst and Peridot joined us at the last second. We didn't want to startle anyone."

Amethyst eye-rolled as she sent a teasing elbow to her teammate's ribs. "Aw, c'mon, Pearl! You think me and Peri would miss out on this?"

Peridot lay too deep in interest towards the curious-eyed fur ball to affirm her purple associate's words. A mind-damaged Gem peaceably living amongst humans: now _there_ hid some interesting potentials. She remained behind Garnet's sturdy legs, though, just to be—

Suddenly Amber got up on her hind legs to stick her big black nose into Steven's bushy black hair, an action that made the boy giggle and loosen his grip on Lapis, before licking his face like any actual dog would. Pearl would have snatched Steven back if not for Garnet's firm assuring hand on her shoulder.

Connie held back a giggle as she discreetly took out her phone again. She was _definitely_ taking a picture of this.

"I'm Steven, and we're the WTBC Committee! Sorry we didn't get to meet yesterday; you were probably busy, but's that okay!" Steven exclaimed as he spread arms open wide, starry trademark grin in place. "Better late than never!"

Amber readily returned the grin; she liked this kid already. Out of her peripheral, she noticed the confusion in Lapis' downward gaze at the boy, likely because he had said so much on one breath.

"The 'Welcome to Beach City' Committee, Blue Belle! Get that pretty head in the game!" Marcus called as he shut the front door behind him and set the broom against the wall before cruising towards the group, Lapis' threatening eye-twitch not fazing him at all. "Can't be a newcomer to Beach City without at least _one_ fine hello from this bunch. Speaking of which," he turned to Garnet with a hand extended in greeting, "nice to see you all still in top form."

Garnet smiled as she returned the handshake. "Likewise. Family doing alright?"

Marcus stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth. "Nobody's set the town on fire yet, and the popo haven't shown up, so I must be doing _something_ right."

And cue Amethyst's boisterous snort.

Pearl plastered on a polite smile. "Yes well, while we _are_ happy to welcome you all back to Beach City, we came here to work something out with Amber," she turned to said Gem, "maybe even continue from where you and Rose left off. If you could hand me some of the notes she made on your progress, the process can go much smoother."

That statement got Peridot's attention. Rose Quartz made _notes_ on this anomaly? Definitely not intel privy to the technician's knowledge. The emerald stone could not deny a sense of intrigue towards this detail.

Meanwhile Amber backed off of Steven and then pointed a paw at Connie, gesturing the girl to come over. Connie blinked in wonder, lips pursed; at Steven's shrug, she decided to comply and drew closer. "Um, hi. I'm Connie Maheswaran, you probably remember me from when Kurtis would babysit me. What do you need?"

The answer became clear once Amber started gesturing her paws as though she were texting. "Oh! I see! Is it okay if I speak for you then?"

Surprise crossed Amber's face for some reason, though she hastily wiped it off with a thankful smile. Once Connie switched to the typing app of her phone, Amber tapped the device with her nose and before the girl's and Steven's mystified eyes, words started typing onto the screen by themselves.

" _Whoa—_ Oh! Um...," Connie recovered with a clear of her throat before reciting in a clear tone, "My apologies, but I am afraid that will not be possible. The...'last time' Rose and I rendezvoused, I left everything I recorded on the terminal."

Pearl tapped her chin, a thoughtful hum echoing. "That's fine. We already know where it is to begin with, which only leaves the matter of the cure itself. Given everyone's collective knowledge on corruption so far, yours included, finding the solution should go much smoother."

"True."

"So then you'll let us help you."

 ** _BZZZZZZZZZ!_**

The incorrect buzzer sound effect blaring from Connie' phone said everything, everyone but Garnet, Marcus, Uma, and Amber herself flinching in surprise at it.

Pearl had to hold back a blush at the nonverbal flip-off. She should've expected the yellow Gem would prove difficult...not that she lacked good reason. "Oh...o-of course, well we don't need the information urgently, mind you. However, there _are_ underlying time restraints you should"—

"Take all the time you need," Lapis interjected, taking no small amount of pleasure in Pearl's vexed glare. She stepped closer and hovered a hand over her mouth. "Trust me," she whispered, "considering some of these guys, you'll need a while."

That advice got the golden Gem stifling a chuckle. (Connie, too, who'd been close enough to overhear, though the girl wisely hid her expression behind her free hand.) A tug on the left paw brought her attention back down to Steven, whose grand smile disarmed her just as much as his next words did.

"But we can still hang out with you right?"

Connie didn't even need her phone to translate Amber's wide-eyed amazement and bashful break in eye-contact.

"She guesses."

Steven's whoop echoed throughout the shop.

No one noticed Uma going into the back.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Kurtis."

At his elder's soft-spoken call, the young man paused amongst watering the flowers.

"Aren't you going to welcome our guests?"

That question sounded innocuous, but Kurtis knew his grandmother long enough to know better. He rotated to face her, the pink apron that reached past his knees flowing with the motion. "They came for Amber, not us."

Uma cast a knowing smirk at her grandson, hardly surprised he heard that part of the conversation. " _Pearl and Amethyst and Garnet_ , true; Lapis seems happy to see her at least. And Steven and Connie seem the same way about you, too. Would be a shame if you didn't get to say hi to the two of them, don't you agree?"

A few moments of pregnant silence passed.

When Kurtis's shoulders finally slumped in defeat, Uma fist-pumped in her mind; right where she wanted him. Without another word, she returned to the shop, her grandson dutifully (and semi-reluctantly) following, apron and watering can cast aside.

The moment they emerged, all bets were off.

"Eyyyyyy! There's the little sad sack!"

A pout formed against Kurtis's will at Amethyst's call-out. Why did so many people think that about him? Despite his inner irritation, he managed a meek wave to the Gems. Garnet nodded; Pearl returned the wave with a nervous grin; Amethyst wiggled her fingers in a vaguely flirty manner; Lapis, who already saw him once, regarded him with a bored look; and Peridot squinted at him for some reason.

Whatever. Connie and Steven grabbed his attention the moment the former latched her arms onto his left leg while her star-eyed other half clung to the other. Kurtis tousled both their hairs, smiling softly when they giggled in return.

Just then, the cell in his right pants pocket started vibrating, the kids pulling away as he checked his ebony phone. A quick check of the messages confirmed that Kiki had to reschedule their study date, meant to be today in currently ten minutes, due to some 'freak accident with the yeast'.

At once Kurtis felt both irritation and relief.

There went his getaway card for avoiding any more ensuing awkwardness with the 'guests'. On the bright side, at least he wouldn't have to worry about disappointing his little sister-figure and the younger boy, who seemed like a genuinely nice kid.

Sensing the man's ambivalent mood, Connie took out her own phone. "I called my mom after I called Uma. She said I can stay with you as long as I'm back in time for my violin lesson. So if you want, we hang out to fill out the hole in your schedule."

"Guys," Steven turned to the Gems with a hopeful expression, "is it okay if I hang out with Kurtis today, too?" He really wanted to get to know the guy who used to look after Connie because, hey, if his best friend (cool herself) thought the guy was cool, then he was already okay in Steven's book!

Pearl pursed her lips, unsure, her sky-blue eyes lingering on the surprised youth in question. "Um, I suppose."

Garnet shrugged. "I see no harm in it."

While Steven and Connie shared an ecstatic high-five, Kurtis turned to his grandmother and father and Amber with a questioning, almost concerned, look.

Marcus waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, c'mon! Like we're _not_ used to alien presences in our home. We'll be fine! Ta be fair, though, I thought you'd be stickin' around ta hang with Amber's old friends. Practically a sci-fi film knockin' right on our doorstep!"

Kurtis pointedly looked away, hoping against hope no one could see his blush, flinching when Amethyst sauntered up and administered a hearty slap to the small of his back.

"Yo, you guys tryin' to ditch me or what?" At Kurtis's wary stare, Amethyst threw her hands up in metaphorical defense. "Seriously, man, we haven't hung out since we were kids—well, since _you_ were a kid, but ya get what I mean. So c'mon," she dropped the joking tone as her face became sincere, "for old times' sake."

A brief bout of stare-down. Kurtis pinched his eyes and shot a careworn chuckle. "Alright."

Amethyst finger-snapped with a wink then turned to Peridot and Lapis. "Yo, Peri, Lap-a-Lazy, wanna join in?"

Peridot tapped her chin, indecisive for a moment, before gesturing her hands in genuine apology. "I'd love to, but I feel now is a big opportunity to learn more about this 'corruption', much less how this one," she gestured to Amber, "has managed to coexist with humans if this condition is as debilitating as you all suggested on the way here."

Steven crossed his arms with a considerate hum. "Sounds fair. Lapis?"

The blue Gem shook her head, small smile signaling her regret as well. "Some other day." At Steven's despondent gaze, she patted his shoulder before turning to her older friend, "I still need time to take this all in. We have plenty of time to catch up."

Amber gave an understanding nod and grin, although Steven suspected a bit of sadness in the expression.

 **That's okay. If you ever change your mind, just look for my funky hide.**

She morphed her fur color into a mobile rainbow, invoking a series of 'whoa' and 'cool' from the kids and Amethyst.

Even Peridot could not deny her awe.

 _Interesting use of her photonic abilities. I could get to like her._


	11. A Day Out

**Note: Takes place the second afternoon after "Steven Floats" and a few days before "Drop Beat Dad"**

* * *

At this moment of time, Kurtis realized an important fact of life.

Never let Steven and Amethyst decide the first stop.

Which, in this case, turned out to be Beach City Fries.

"KURT, IS EVERYTHING OKAY?!"

Because the sight of Ronaldo bursting his head out the service window, voice at full volume? Not healthy for the heart.

Ronaldo must had seen Peridot enter Flores and Gardening earlier because the moment he spotted the gang at the window, he demanded answers from Steven and Amethyst and Connie about the 'eco-terrorist android' and her intentions for the local fauna of Beach City.

And the entire Flores family's well-being, much to everyone else's surprise and Kurtis's melted heart.

Peedee, who handed Steven his usual fry bits right before Ronaldo interrupted, tugged at his older brother's shirt with routine exasperation. "Ugh, Ronaldo! Get back to the fryer before Dad sees this! You can do this later."

Ronaldo turned to his younger sibling with dejected eyes. "But Peedeeeeee! This is import"—

A strong hand gripped the portly teen by the collar of his Fieri shirt and, faster than a blink, he found Kurtis up close and personal to the point of their noses touching.

Everyone gaped in shock at the reticent teen displaying such roughness.

"Calm. Down," Kurtis stated in a low firm tone and nothing more. Connie released a relieved sigh, thankful for the lack of a scene...but then heard the following words. "Amber is with the Crystal Gems and the android. We can transfer their conversations to your laptop later."

The blogger's bottom lip jutted out and his eyes sparkled like those of a puppy presented a treat. "Promise?"

Kurtis smiled minutely. "Promise."

Ronaldo locked the other male in a sudden brief yet intense bear hug, strong enough to almost knock his friend's glasses off, smile grand and alit as though someone granted him the key to the cosmos. Probably not too far off in hindsight. Kurtis patted the chubbier teen's back in a way that should have been awkward in that position but somehow came out genuine instead.

Once the two teens ended their moment and anyone else who fancied a meal got their orders (namely Kurtis and his curly fries with ketchup), the group departed for the beach.

Ten feet later, Kurtis felt a gentle yet incessant tug at his pants. A glance down revealed Steven giving him an interested smile.

"You and Ronaldo must be really good friends."

Kurtis angled his glasses to cast an inquisitive stare on the younger boy. Our half-Gem hero hardly flinched as he let go.

"I mean it. Ronaldo's a really cool guy once you get ta know 'im. He just gets a little ahead of himself sometimes."

Connie pursed her lips, not quite siding with her Jam Bud on that opinion. While she did not know Ronaldo personally well and knew better than to just write him off as trouble (the guy never came off as someone to act like a jerk for no apparent reason), the thought of enlightening the same guy that kidnapped her best friend and later accused him and his family of endangering Beach City did not sit well with her.

Then again, she remembered and reacquainted with Kurtis enough over the past weeks before Steven and the Gems' return to know he never associated with such people without good reason. And Steven still had gall to hang around Ronaldo and treat him as a friend despite all that happened between them.

In silent defeat, Connie heaved a light sigh. _Their intuitions' hardly let me down before._

At Steven's comment, Kurtis shrugged. Nothing he hadn't figured out about the blogger beforehand. Still the florist had to admire the kid's optimism. An elbow to the left arm dragged his attention to Amethyst.

"So yer _are_ buds then, huh? Color me surprised," she shapeshifted into a violet counterpart of Kurtis himself, voice deep and monotone, "I hate being annoyed. That's why I like looking grumpy. How else can I get some alone time?"

While Steven and Connie held back snorts at this display, Kurtis perked an eyebrow at the performance, secretly amused behind the stoicism, before switching his attention to the kids.

Connie shook her head, empathetic grin showing. "She does this a lot."

"She's super good at it, too," Steven added.

The florist looked back at his lookalike, who fluttered eyelashes back at him, expectant on his answer.

"You got it wrong."

When Amethyst's face twisted in confusion, Kurtis pointed to his own eyes. The purple doppelganger facepalmed, eyes rolling skyward— "Oh duh!"—before fashioning Lennon glasses of her own, jazz hands included.

Kurtis nodded in approval. Much better.

"Okay, now _that_ looks more like your moody self."

That familiar sass, coupled with an old engine's grumble, diverted attention to further down the boardwalk, from which came a pizza jeep that seated two unmistakable characters. Steven hopped up and down with starry eyes before dashing towards them, the others following in his wake at a calmer pace.

"Jenny, Buck!"

"Yoooooo!" Amethyst added as she reverted to her usual self, waving a hand high above. "What up?"

"Hey Steven! Hey Amethyst!" Jenny returned. Her eyes caught sight of Connie. "Oh hey, Connie Maheswaran, right? Steven's told us you're a pretty cool kid."

"Kurtis said the same at the party yesterday," Buck added in his usual laidback monotone. "Says you're pretty sharp."

With a blush and fiddle of her hands, Connie blinked at the compliments, not expecting to hear them from popular kids she barely knew. To be fair, though, she shouldn't have been as surprised that two of her favorite people shared such positive descriptions of her, especially Steven.

She brushed back her hair with a modest smile. "Heh, well thank you."

"Anyway," Jenny continued, "we came by to remind ya and Amethyst of the gig he's setting up for this weekend, Steven."

"Oh yeah!" Steven balled his hands in excitement, eyes brighter than all the stars in Andromeda, as he turned to Kurtis and Connie. "Sour Cream's got this cool extra-special rave he does every year! There's gonna be food and music and a whole _bunch_ of other awesome things! You gotta come!"

Kurtis shared a look with Connie, who offered an assuring nod and grin, before looking back at Jenny and Buck. "What time?"

"Saturday evening," Buck answered, "at the old warehouse."

Connie crossed her arms and turned her gaze downward, thinking the invitation over. While she _had_ improved on her social anxieties since last time, she still got a bit nervous about dancing in public sometimes. However, if she had Steven and now Kurtis there, then their presences could take the edge off.

"Well, I've got nothing planned for then," she poised her hands behind herself and gave Steven a saddened frown, "but my parents still get pretty wary about me being out at night."

At this point, everyone's eyes shifted to Kurtis, the man scrutinizing Connie and Steven's abrupt hopeful eyes like a judge.

"No later than ten."

That point-blank proviso earned him a hearty slap on the back from Amethyst.

"Attaboy!"

Jenny stiffened at a sudden thought. "Oh that reminds me. We also drove by cuz me and Buck figured SC is gonna need some help getting the equipment out tomorrow," she scoffed in exhaustion, "Trust me, that stuff is killer heavy! 'Cept me and Kiki both got our hands full with work that day and Buck's got a family reunion that won't end 'til the day of the rave."

Like a sugar-fueled rocket, Steven's hand shot up at blinding speed. "Oh, oh! I can help!" Then he turned to Kurtis, Connie, and Amethyst. "Guys?"

Connie offered an apologetic grin. "Can't. My schedule's swamped until then, too."

Amethyst raised both her hands in a 'we'll see' manner. "No promises."

Much as she genuinely supported Vidalia's firstborn, the demands of life as a Crystal Gem could be downright capricious. Of course, one could say the same for Steven and arguably Connie, but then again Amethyst and the other Gems didn't have to worry about matters such as school or maintaining ties with all facets of a diverse heritage.

Mostly, though, she just wanted to weasel out of additional busywork to her 'schedule'.

Regardless, she snapped her fingers at Jenny and Buck. "But hey, don't go thinkin' I'll be a no-show once Sour starts his thing!" Free food and music, after all.

Jenny's dark eyes narrowed in on the only person who hadn't objected. "Well, Kurtis Flores, I know for certain _you_ can't talk your way outta this. C'mon, you're practically done with your summer classes, and the fall ones won't start 'til next week! Besides, what's the point of those muscles if you're not gonna use 'em?"

 _Hard to refute that logic_ , Kurtis mused as his face scrunched from considering the offer. Sour Cream _had_ turned out to be a cool dude judging by the few parties the Lenape-Latino elected to attend. And considering how difficult Amber had gotten lately over certain matters, some time away from her might do some good for everyone.

Once again, screw Jenny and her uncanny ability to argue.

With a halfhearted smirk, Kurtis threw his hands up in surrender.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As did Peridot once the quirky quartet returned to the shop an hour later.

The technician was pacing back and forth on the boardwalk, hands in her hair, grumbling to herself. She never even noticed Steven and Amethyst calling her name, that was how lost the unexplained frustration rendered her.

"...doesn't make any sense...follows no logic!"

Garnet and Pearl were off to the side, talking in hushed tones and judging by the rigidity in the former's crossed arms and latter's worried tone, their topic of conversation did not bode good news either.

Steven shared a look with Connie, puzzled, before he approached his caretakers with meek steps.

Pearl noticed him first; she plastered on a cheery smile that failed to reach her eyes. "Oh, um, Steven, Connie, everyone! You're back!"

"Geez Pearl," Amethyst scanned her eyes from Pearl to Garnet to Peridot then back, usual joviality gone from her voice, "what's eating everybody?"

When Pearl struggled to answer, Steven angled his head with a tiny frown. "Pearl, did something bad happen with Amber?"

At this question, Pearl held her hands up, frantic. "No! No, nothing... _bad_ , per say. We're only experiencing a slight...compromise." When the worried gazes on Steven and Connie's faces and the puzzled one on Amethyst's refused to let up, Pearl angled her face to the side, one hand to her mouth and the other on her elbow.

"She needs our help," she finally murmured. For some reason, Pearl did not smile when she stated this, a fact that worried the three greatly. "It's just..."

"She wants no help herself!" Peridot screeched skyward from behind everyone.

How did that make—Connie shook her head, bewilderment growing with each passing second. "So, wait, Amber needs our help but doesn't want it?"

Amethyst scoffed. "Okay, you guys are makin' _no_ sense. Either she wants to be healed or she doesn't. Which is it?"

Though Amethyst had taken care to keep her voice even, the stress showed on Pearl's face as she faced the younger Gem with a firm yet still heartbroken countenance, sighing as she did. "She wants to cure all the Gems the Diamonds damaged. All except for herself."

"But why?" Steven asked, starting to catch onto Peridot's disbelief.

A silent discreet stare passed between Garnet and Kurtis, who'd been in the background the whole time, unreactive and observant.

They mutually nodded and Garnet returned her attention to the others.

"Amber wants to stay corrupted."


	12. Best Explain

**Note: Second Afternoon After Steven Floats; A Few Days Before "Drop Beat Dad"**

* * *

A shimmering lake lay in the distance, the blue of its waters deepened by the night.

Mighty trees stood like sentinels below heavens framed by receding sunlight—purples, tangerines, scarlets, and azures— amongst darkened clouds while starlight snaked across as ribbons of white.

Far below, firelight fluctuated like the gentlest of heartbeats, its glow painting the humans around it a breathtaking orange.

Amazing how such simple displays could still bring calm and focus after all these centuries.

And sitting upon a cliff in the middle of all this, peace of mind restored, was—

"Amber?"

All beauty evaporated instantly, back to memory and nothing more. The cliff dematerialized into a plushy chestnut armchair, large enough to comically accentuate Amber's tiny stature, notebook and pencil from earlier to her right. The thick book she'd been reading clattered to the floor, its former holder startled as her gemstone lost its ethereal glow and her eyes locked onto the concerned intruder in the doorway.

Steven held his hands up in apology, offering a placating smile. "Sorry about that," he gestured his head to the older male behind him without breaking eye-contact, "I should've listened to Kurtis about knocking first."

Though in all fairness, the young rockling figured Amber would be the type to seek comfort in a library, even before Kurtis brought him along. Not that Steven could blame her; libraries are good for peace and quiet. Pearl and Connie would enjoy Amber's idea of relaxation.

Speaking of Connie, she wanted to check up on the yellow Gem out of concern—a bit of curiosity, too—but Dr. Maheswaran arrived moments ago, leaving the girl to request Steven for a later update on Amber's status.

Oh, our young pacifist had to bite his cheek from _squealing_ at the cuteness before him: a squat golden mole/hedgehog with flat umber plates in place of quills; same white underbelly; chubby snout that tapered to a plump nose; shovel-like hands that ended in four white claws on each; and round clawed feet.

Sweet Cookie Cats, Amber looked so huggable!

But upon noticing the discomfort on Amber's face, Steven wisely kept such thoughts at bay lest he speak them aloud and risk upsetting the mole...hog?

Molehog? Yeah, that works!

With a clear of his throat, Steven rubbed his right arm with a tiny unsure frown, "Amber. Not that I don't appreciate your help," then shrugged helplessly, "I just don't get why you wanna stay corrupted. It's..."

A somber sigh escaped the furry stone, eyes gleaming with wistful frustration at the boy's loss for words. She reached for her notebook and pencil, wrote something, and then flipped it around.

 **Stupid?**

Steven frowned at the question, a little hurt that Amber expected such insensitivity from him. That was _so_ not the word he was gonna use. Before he could put this feeling into words, Amber continued.

 **It's okay if you do. I should want to be healed, to be myself again. But I don't.**

"Why?" the half Gem balked, "Not being corrupted anymore means you'll feel better...," only to scrunch his face, "right?"

Kurtis furrowed his brows at the hesitancy punctuating Steven's statement. This kid sounded like he didn't have the full picture on corruption yet.

An observation with which Amber agreed as evidenced by her bittersweet smile. **Steven, I've been corrupted for as long as the Rebellion's been over. That's 5000-plus years. Then there's this...**

After she lifted her left claw, Steven gasped when the limb glimmered into a normal hand covered by a black rubber glove emblazoned with a golden star on the forearm. The boy could only gape at her in wonder.

"Three days ago," Kurt interjected the moment Steven opened his mouth to ask.

That long? Steven turned to Amber with creased eyes and a slight tilt of his head, unsure on the appropriateness of the next question on his mind. Geez, what he wouldn't give for a guide on Gem stuff.

"Are you saying you're scared of getting better?"

 **I've known corruption for so long. My other forms, the friends and family I've made while like this—if I return to my original self, how will I know I won't lose any of this?**

As if on cue, her hand reverted into its clawed self, the last flicker fading almost pleadingly. Kurtis stepped forward, got to his knees and took gentle hold of that hand, mindful of the sharp digits, and rubbed the palm with soothing strokes. Amber acknowledged the gesture with a faint yet thankful smile.

Steven smiled as well at the sight, happy that Amber had a support system, which was a lot more than he could say for nearly all the other corrupted Gems. The young Quartz pursed his lips a moment, eyes diverted to a nearby bookshelf. That's when he noticed the copy of _Sun in the Sakura_ , the greenness of the spine staring back as though in encouragement.

His eyes returned to Amber.

"We can visit you if you'd like."

Amber already implied she'd be visiting _them_ to help with the corruption at large. Why not return the favor? And Garnet _did_ say seeing other Gems might do the golden stone some good. Besides, even _if_ she'd stay corrupted, she was still a Crystal Gem—or at least Garnet and Pearl and Lapis' friend.

Amber and Kurtis stared at him, a reluctant hope in the former's eyes much to the Universe kid's joy.

"Pearl, Garnet, and Lapis wanna be friends with you again, and Amethyst and Peridot looked like they wanted to know you better, too." He spread his arms wide to indicate the entire room. "You could even show 'em stuff like this! Peridot's really gotten into human stuff and Pearl knows lots of stuff about history! Think of the long-winded conversations you guys could have!"

Kurtis and Amber stared at him for a while, one stoic as usual and the other thoughtful, then shared a long contemplative look, the light in their eyes fluctuating as though in conversation...until at last Amber faced Steven with a shy yet genuine smile.

 **That does sound nice.** Despite herself, she felt a warmth blossom in her gemstone at Steven's brightening countenance. **I didn't cause an atmospheric lightshow for nothing.**

That quip inspired a giggle out of Steven. Even Kurtis could not help but pull a faint grin, though that switched to surprise when the younger boy's face firmed up in determination.

"And even if you don't want your old form back, that doesn't mean the Gems won't want anything to do with you." He even balled his fists up, hearty grin never wavering. "Whatever happens we've all got your back!"

That. _That_...took Amber off guard completely.

Not the assertion itself; she would have expected no less from someone who shared the better parts of Rose's personality. She just never expected the sheer drive behind the spoken words, much less the amount of faith Steven had in his own team.

 _No,_ Amber reminded herself, _of course he'd say stuff like this. He's more than just Rose._

A hint of sorrow took over Amber as she gestured to her own navel, making sure to pull a thoughtful expression to show there was no pressure. Steven, to her relief, caught on quickly and nodded before lifting his shirt up to reveal his pink gemstone.

After a few moments of pregnant silence, Amber scribbled something down then looked away, forlorn.

 **So then she really is gone.**

Letting his shirt back down, Steven felt his face turn downcast, already knowing the emotional drill by this point yet feeling smaller regardless. Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Dad, even Jasper in her own way: they all expressed their loss of Rose Quartz in one way or another. And he knew no matter what he tried to cheer her up, Amber would need time to move on.

 **Just as well.**

When Steven and even Kurtis eyed her in shock and confusion, Amber continued. This time, she took even longer to write, a fact that signaled Steven to brace himself for a lengthy explanation.

 **I already discussed this with the others. The War made Rose do things she wished she never had to. I'm not saying she didn't love you or didn't want you, but I think part of the reason she had you stemmed from her desire to atone. And while I don't know you as well as the others do, I believe she made the right choice.**

Wow.

Steven expected a little honesty since Amber didn't know him that well, sure, but nothing of _this_ magnitude. And though the idea of being someone else's atonement lacked a degree of comfort, Steven accepted it with a thankful smile. He knew his mother loved him, but hearing these bits of truth about her helped him build a more complete picture of the Gem who brought him into this world.

His train of thought broke when his peripherals caught sight of the thick book Amber dropped earlier. Picking the item up, Steven took a long look at the black cursive title: _Lesser Known Mythologies._ So focused on the book, he missed the way the older Gem's shoulders tensed.

"You must really like reading this sort of stuff," he handed back the volume to the lemony fuzzball, who managed to relax before he faced her, "Have you ever been to any of the places these myths came from?"

Amber gestured her free paw in a so-so manner, which turned out sufficient enough of a reason for Steven to get starry-eyed again, gasping in excitement.

Unfortunately, the time for sharing tales of globetrotting would have to wait another day. At that moment, Kurtis tapped a finger against the book to get Amber and Steven's attention then pointed to the waning sunlight streaming through the window.

"It's almost dark."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A minute later, Amber was standing in the doorway as Steven returned home with the other Gems, smiling when the boy gave her one last wave goodbye before disappearing in the distance. She waved a paw back, glad to have met someone so nice.

 _Here's to your own legacy, Starman Jr._

So intent on her thoughts, the sound of nearing wheels escaped her notice until the accompanying voice spoke.

"What you told Stevie ain't the only reason you're afraid of healing, is it?"

Amber could only sigh. Figures Kurtis would tell Marcus; Uma no doubt knows, too, though it's unlikely she needed anyone to tell her in the first place. The canine inclined her head downward, resigned to the upcoming sermon. A warm calloused hand rubbed circles into her back instead.

"C'mon, they gotta know better than to copy Rose's mistake. A lot can change in a couple of years, even for rocks."

Despite the softness of his voice and surety in his tone, the assurance lessened neither Amber's nervousness nor her frown. Marcus noticed this and drew his hand back, knowing better than to push his luck. Though judging by today's events, he could say the same about his little lightning bug.

With an empathetic smile tugging at his wrinkled face, the Peruvian picked the yellow dog up and held her tight, nuzzling the canine's head with his cheek, relieved when she leaned into him in return.

"Welp, if you _do_ tell the whole story behind you and Rosie and all chaos breaks out, expect backup."

Only at hearing that assurance did Amber finally shift her view from the departing Gems to Marcus, nodding in thanks, then towards the darkening sky.

Somewhere amongst the appearing stars, the galaxy once home to her twinkled.


	13. First Session (Kind Of)

**Note: Takes place on the day of "Drop Beat Dad"**

* * *

Scrapping claws lightly dragged behind as Amber followed Pearl down the steps leading into the Sky Arena, notebook and pencil and a honey-orange cellphone cradled in the crook of her left arm.

The past few days since the reunion turned out to be uneventful. While Amber's near-daily visits to the Temple switched up everyone's routine, they hadn't imposed any significant change other than the temporary addition of another Gem in the house and an extra activity on Quill Mom's schedule.

All the golden rock had been doing consisted of examining the abode, getting a feel for the place, Steven offering his humble services by explaining everything's location.

But beneath the surface, Amber could sense the tension underlying the interactions between her and the other older Gems, a notion that did not go unshared.

Steven showed only openness and welcome while Amethyst seemed neutral if not curious. Peridot and Lapis hadn't dropped by yet so their take remained unknown, though Amber suspected the former was still racking her illusory skull over corruption. No idea about Lapis.

Then there were Pearl and Garnet with their constant aura of concern. Not that Amber suspected they viewed her as a threat; rather that, like Steven, they perceived her 'resolve' as less than comforting. To their credit, the fusion and knight unanimously circumvented this topic altogether in lieu of catching up with Amber, seeing what she'd been up to all this time.

Not until the topic of 'certain spats over the years' came up did Pearl realize something important: Amber had gotten accustomed to fighting corrupted Gems all these centuries. And with Yellow Diamond's imminent suspicion over Peridot's betrayal, the Cluster's lack of activation, and the Ruby Squad's lack of reports on Jasper—

"Have you considered training with us?"

Amber's continued focus on the teacup in her clawed hands had sent the lean Gem backtracking quickly, recalling her mistake from days ago.

Pearl only got as far as 'Just in case you're in a tight spot or' before Amber had finished her tea then turned and walked over to the Warp Pad, her patient stare expecting Pearl to follow through on the offer, much to the leaner lithomorph's surprise.

 _Not that I can blame her. I had to face this sooner or later._ That fact did nothing to ease Amber's nerves, even moments later as the stone-tiled openness beckoned her to demonstrate her full potential.

Clasping her hands together with peppy vigor, Pearl faced the smaller stone with a grand smile. "Alright, since you've been missing in action for so long, it's only fair we start with the basics. Though considering your performance at the Kindergarten, those shouldn't take long for you!"

On cue with its owner's frisk claps, the oval gemstone on her head glimmered white before projecting a large light like a projector onto the arena center, the light taking shape into a neon-blue version of Pearl herself. The moment two white diamonds took shape where the copy's eyes belonged, a robotic facsimile of the original's voice sprang forth from its flashing angular mouth.

A _loud_ robotic facsimile.

 _ **DO YOU WISH TO ENGAGE IN COMBAT, AMBER?**_

 _Uh huh_ , the yellow Gem, grimacing from the volume, mused with a half-lidded stare at the Holo-Pearl before sending a questioning eyebrow at the genuine article. _This thing already knows my name apparently._

Pearl gestured a hand to her flickering double, unabashed. "I just thought it'd do to be ready when necessary."

Amber decided against focusing on the 'when' in place of 'if'. Count on Pearl to subtly zero in on inevitabilities. Ah well, the preparation was still a nice gesture. After setting her belongings down on a nearby seat, Amber did a few limb-stretches then stepped forward, hardly batting an eye when a sword sprung into existence in Holo-Pearl's right hand.

Or when seven more of them, also armed with swords, materialized in a circle, surrounding their tiny target.

Her peripherals caught the mild surprise on Pearl's face. _From my lack of surprise, no doubt. Here's hoping my confidence isn't misplaced._

"Begin!"

Diamond eyes, now red, zeroed in.

Three sharp thrusts to her left: flamenco-spin to the right.

Diagonal strike from the right: MJ-lean to the left followed by spinning kick, leaving a gash in the Holo-Pearl's chest and destroying her. One down, seven to go.

Horizontal slashes from front and back: full front split, causing her opponents to slice each other instead and fizz out of existence. Five left.

Three coming in with ballet twirls from three different directions: high spinning leap just before the blades connected while quills fired in all directions, missing the holograms completely... until the projectiles, forming a perfect circle, lit up and electrocuted their targets into oblivion. Only two more.

Speaking of which, the survivors, who'd been hanging back until now, performed The Robot to fuse into a dual-wielding version of their selves.

Land and cue stare down, dust unsettled by the near-silent wind.

One...two...

Mega-Pearl made the first move, charging in with a spinning swipe that Amber jumped over, scrapping the ground where the molehog had been. To the left, to the back, weave around the legs: everywhere Amber went, Mega-Pearl tried to keep track, unable to attack at such close range.

Until finally the hologram managed to sidestep far enough and slash.

Only for Amber warp out of existence then reappear on the goliath's outstretched arm, a current of chain lightning spreading from her feet all over her opponent, allowing her to string around Mega-Pearl's body like an electron and resist being thrown off despite the hologram's fierce attempts to—

 _ **BZZZKTT!**_

Mega-Pearl stiffened, swords falling to her sides with a clatter while her eyes abruptly returned to their original white, her form flickering like bad reception. Then like a tree, she fell face-first and dissipated into fritz upon impact, swords fizzing out as well.

Amber landed a foot away from where her opponent collapsed, claws sparkling from the final blow, still alert, still ready.

 _ **Clap! Clap!**_

"That's enough for now."

Amber looked upward just in time to see Pearl approach her with a contemplative chin-rub and remained tense, wary as to what the knight had to say.

Empathy had never been Pearl's strongest forte, but her sharp eyes knew they hadn't imagined the resigned way in which Amber faced her like a child bracing for punishment. The taller Gem faced her friend with a ginger look of curiosity. The molehog shuffled her feet and Pearl twiddled her index fingers, both aware of the metaphorical elephant yet unsure how to acknowledge it.

Before too long, Pearl cleared her throat. "Some of those moves you used. Did you...learn those from humans?"

Automatically Pearl could sense the slight incidental charge of particles in the air. She couldn't exactly blame Amber for feeling self-conscious about this issue, least of all around her. "I'm not going to condemn you for _that_ if that's what's worrying you," she sighed, "I admit: my views of them have never been the most flattering. Regardless, their ways of fighting are nothing to scoff at."

Humans were more physically fragile than Gems, yes; for that exact reason, however, they excelled at using other forms of fighting besides brute force. Most of them would have shied away from Gems anyway, let alone corrupted ones, so Amber's teachers had to have been exceptional individuals. Besides, they'd been her only option for the longest time.

Pearl stifled a chuckle at how Amber's eyes widened at her in wonder. "Oh come on now!" she retorted with crossed arms, "Give me more credit than _that_ at least."

Amber shook her head with a good-natured scoff, hands akimbo. _Okay, I jumped the boat there. Still..._

Seeing the lingering questions in Pearl's eyes, the yellow Gem returned to where she left her belongings and returned with the notebook and pencil, writing down her next statement on the way back.

 **Apparently, the terminals make for good combat simulation. Just have to tweak the programming a bit, insert some data, and viola, perfect holograms—colors, voices, and everything!**

"I see," Pearl commented with contemplative chin rub, impressed, "That's how you could practice the techniques of your human teachers to keep your skills sharp." Even long after their, ahem, 'passing'. "I take it Rose helped with your Gem abilities in the meantime."

To her confusion, an oddly upset look flashed across Amber's face before the molehog wrote and presented with more force than usual. **Yes. The point is that I've relearned how to fight.**

Pearl cleared her throat, knowing better than to comment. "True, you've regained your skills to the point that you're formidable enough," she crossed her arms over her chest, "but there's still plenty of room for improvement. There were times you left yourself open."

Amber looked away and rubbed her head in embarrassment. Yeah, she suspected as much.

"Not many, mind you!" Pearl added in haste. "Your style and stance were well managed. In fact, I'm considering letting you in on Steven and Connie's training so they can get experience with speedier enemies!"

That sounded pretty good, but it brought up an important point that'd been bothering Amber since her visits started.

 **About Steven. Did he know about me before we met?**

"W-Well...," Pearl admitted with a slight blush, not caught off guard by the question but still self-conscious, "no. We never thought telling him would have made a difference. From what Rose told us, you're perfectly happy here on Earth. You made this new life on your own without us," the sad twinge in Pearl's voice as she looked towards the clouds did not go overlooked, "She didn't want us forcing ourselves onto you."

Amber turned her gaze to the ground for a moment, pensive. Yeah, that sounded like something Rose would do, even after the...'incident'.

 **Steven's a good kid, though. Would telling him beforehand have been that bad of an idea?**

"Steven means well; it's just that he can come off as a bit too...," Pearl sidled her eyes for a moment, considering her next words carefully, "forthcoming to people who don't know him personally."

 **I don't mind forthcoming. I'm just worried you guys might be waiting a bit longer than necessary.**

"A fair enough concern," Pearl begrudgingly sighed as she walked back to the front seats and sat down on one of them, hands together, Amber following suit beside her. That lesson definitely came back to bite the CGs in the arsenic more than once. "Steven wanted to know the same thing once we came back from the flower shop."

Garnet's words from that night as they sat around Steven's bed echoed in Pearl's memory: _Even if we were friends long ago, it's her call whether to face the past, not ours. When she's ready, so will we._

Amber gestured her palms out in a 'see my point now' manner. They couldn't keep the little guy in the dark forever.

Cue the perfect unamused stare from Pearl. "Regardless, we _are_ making an effort to be more honest and forthright with Steven about matters like this. Of course," she wagged a finger, "you realize that now includes you as well. You _did_ promise to share stories of your own."

Amber shrugged her shoulders to say 'a promise is a promise'. **Just fair warning: any earth-shaking revelations on my part will not be filtered. I'm good at silence, not censorship.**

"Oh ho, trust me," Pearl scoffed with a lighthearted smirk, hand held up in faux lament, "I remember. Well, now that we have that issue talked out," she returned to her feet with a flourish, back to business, "what's say we continue with training?"

Popping her neck (mainly for show), Amber got up as well, standing on the seat so she'd be closer to Pearl's eye-level.

 **Alright, but when Apollo starts kissing the horizon, I need to go.**

For a moment Pearl blinked at the strange saying then shook her head to return to the topic at hand. "To where exactly?"

 **Sour Cream and Steven invited me and Greg to a special rave tonight. Care to join in?**

The taller stone waved her hands in mild rejection. "Oh no, no, no. I appreciate the offer, but I already have plans for later."

She clapped her hands together excitedly, sky-blue eyes glimmering, "I'm going to attempt a puzzle rendition of Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'! 1000 pieces," then cleared her throat to tone down her eagerness, "Despite his dramatics, his art style was among the more genuine in my opinion."

That and...well, as tamer as her relationship with Greg has become recently, certain aspects still left a certain tension between the knight and ex-rock star without someone else (namely Steven) to fill in the gap. The last thing the Universes needed was her bogging down their fun.

Amber quirked an eyebrow, amused. **Good taste. I've always favored the styles of Miyazaki myself.**

"That's animation, Amber," Pearl replied incredulously.

 **Which is also a legitimate form of art, I must add.**

Pearl rolled her eyes skyward with a dry smile before gesturing a hand to the arena, signaling her intent to continue where they left off. Not that Amber lacked a valid point, but Pearl would rather forego a potentially silly argument when more productive pursuits could be done in the meantime.

"Be thankful I'm here to critique your style and not your preferences. Speaking of which, about your way of fighting..."

A tune emanated from Amber's cellphone, interrupting Pearl. The lyrics got as far as _**'I'm dripping down from the fangs, when I hear your name...'**_ before Amber unlocked the device and switched to the Private Messaging, where she discovered a recent text from Connie.

 _MightOfLisa: Coming in late today. My parents had a schedule conflict. XP_

Amber was quick to reply.

 _SuaveSaturn5: No worries. We've barely started anyway._

 _MightOfLisa: BTW, did you get Steven's text about the rave being moved over to the beach? He mentioned Sour Cream's dad. Judging by the mad emoji, I'm guessing he means Mr. Universe's old manager._

A puff of air escaped Amber's snout as she pinched her eyes in consternation. Oh yay, Marty was back in town.

Even Pearl winced once she read the last part, recollective enough of what Greg shared about the circumstances surrounding his and Rose's first encounter to recognize why this particular human's presence in Beach City insinuated trouble.

 _SuaveSaturn5: Thanks for the warning, kiddo._

 _MightOfLisa: Don't mention it! By the way, I convinced my parents to invite your family over for dinner tomorrow._

A smile came over the golden being's face. Granted, Priyanka and Doug weren't her first choices for company, but they were good people.

 _SuaveSaturn5: We'd be happy to come! I'll tell Marcus, Uma, and Kurtis the news!_

 _MightOfLisa: Great! And Amber? Don't stress over seeing my parents._

Amber and Pearl furrowed their brows at the last statement and shared a worried look.

 _SuaveSaturn5: Why? What's wrong?_

 _MightOfLisa: I also told them you're a Gem._

Oh!

Oh.

... _Oh._


	14. Help You Along

**Note: Takes place on the morning of "Too Short to Ride"; the day after "Mr. Greg"; and two days after "Drop Beat Dad"**

* * *

Throughout her life, Uma's come to expect plenty of curveballs, of which (surprisingly) having a Gem in the family only accounted for 30 percent.

Hence why when she went out front to sweep, she never batted an eye at the sight of Lapis Lazuli standing stiff and awkward right before the shop's main door, the blue stone's right hand posed in midair from an aborted attempt to knock.

Trying hard to hide her bright blue blush at the near déjà vu of this reencounter, Lapis crossed her arms as she avoided the human's inquisitive eyes. "Is Amber home?" She winced at the forced politeness in her voice and glanced at Uma, who stared back curiously. "My roommate's preoccupied."

"Because Steven invited her to his house."

Lapis hunched her shoulders with a light scowl, thrown off by Uma's deduction. Already she could tell coming here would be a bad idea, just as she expected. She still couldn't believe she came here per Peridot's suggestion.

You could visit Amber and her familial unit at their seed-bearing facility! Since the matriarch seems quite fond of you, getting an audience with your friend should be simple.

As much as Lapis would rather not take advice from someone of a Gem type reputed for social ineptitude, she could not deny that Uma had indeed taken a liking to her. Why, the water stone could not fathom. Plus, she didn't want to give Steven (and maybe Peridot) a reason to worry either, much less the two younger Gems using some 'grand scheme' to get the hydromancer and Amber to talk to each other.

Relatively speaking, Lapis hoped this way of confrontation would be less painful. So far, no good.

A broom handle from behind nudging her into the building broke Lapis out of her reverie, eyes widening as though she were about to face off against the entire Diamond Authority instead of just one common Gem.

Except this isn't just one common Gem. This is Amber.

So why not fly away? It worked perfectly before.

Why rush into the agony of reliving the whole emotional trauma that led her and Amber to their respective fates? Lapis could stall until she thought up better plan to face this part of her past. What was one more Earth day in a Gem's life?

Why even bother at all? Amber found herself a decent life among these humans; what right did Lapis have to soil it with bad memories?

Then she remembered.

YOU NEVER CARED, DID YOU?!

After a rueful sigh, Lapis turned and backhanded the handle away, Uma not fazed by the action at all much to Water Witch's decreasing disappointment. Steeling her resolve, arms crossed over her petite chest, the azure stone strode into the center of the shop with nothing short of determination.

Only for said determination to dwindle once she realized one tiny detail: she never planned what to say to Amber. Frack.

Unfortunately, Uma left no more time for thought once she whistled clear and loud, Lapis casting a sideways glare at her in return. The grandmother simply stood by with her usual dreamy smile, hands clasped in front of herself, while Lapis mustered all willpower to remain neutral in expression, hoping her nervousness would—

"She was afraid to see you, too."

Lapis stiffened, anger flashing for a hot second, only to sag seconds later. Of course she was. How could she not be?

"I suspect she blames herself for what happened," Uma continued as though her visitor initiated conversation, "More than necessary in my opinion."

Ugh, Lapis realized with a wince, did I really speak that out loud?

Oh, how she wanted to slap her own self. As that action would only paint her as crazy, she settled for facepalming her mouth instead. Actually, now that Lapis considered the response, Uma sounded like she had more than a general knowledge of the reasons behind Amber's unease.

Drawing the hand away, Lapis cast a subtle yet curious glance at her company in wonder. Just how much did this old lady know about—?

The pat-pat of paws against the floor announced Amber's arrival moments before the golden canine appeared, trotting out the back entrance of the room, some weird apparatus hanging around her furry neck. What did Steven call that device—headphones?

When Lapis looked to Uma in hopes the old woman might have something useful to say—she was the 'matriarch' of this place after all—surprise, surprise, the elder no longer stood beside her but now out front, sweeping like she intended. How the old lady managed to get out there without ringing the bell, who knew?

Swallowing up a curse, Lapis forced a meager smile and wave, uttering the most elegant response she could formulate.

"Hey."

After a few blinks, Amber smiled in return then stepped aside and gestured a forepaw like a butler, welcoming her visitor into the rest of the house. Lapis tightened her arms around herself before sauntering past her host, pausing on the threshold to observe the layout.

The hallway had three paths of entry: one into the backroom, the stairs to the upper level, and a wider one to the right that the stairs led straight into, revealing a spacious room.

Here she first noted the same white walls as the shop; a floor of polished wooden planks; a dark red sofa standing against the back wall; and a small mahogany wood table in front of said sofa. The wall to Lapis' left comprised of (from closest to farthest) a large gold-rimmed window with dark brown shades; a door the same ivory hue as the one in the front; a black electric fireplace with various decorations above; and a pair of bookshelves. The right side, meanwhile, sectioned off into a kitchen by way of an oak counter with a dark brown top. Finally, the wall to her immediate left had a silver plasma screen and matching stand.

Stepping further in, Lapis noticed a large blue leather-bound book sitting atop the table, open to a random yellowed page, Amber's usual notebook and pencil beside it. Out of curiosity, she drew closer to the piece of literature and let her eyes skim over a random line.

"The human condition is such that pain and effort are not just symptoms which can be removed without changing life itself; they are the modes in which life itself, together with the necessity to which it is bound, makes itself felt. For mortals, the easy life of the gods would be a lifeless life."

Narrowing her eyes, Lapis attempted to discern the words until the smoosh of cushions moments later drew her attention to Amber. Back in molehog form, the yellow Gem now sat on the couch in an easy recline, clawed hands on her fuzzy belly, as her dark eyes regarded the other stone with eager curiosity as though awaiting a response.

Suddenly, the nature of the text dawned on Lapis; her eyebrow cocked once she also realized the direction Amber wished to take this conversation. The blue rock shrugged her lithe shoulders, almost apologetic, before she proceeded to examine the room.

"I've never been one for philosophy."

She had no qualms with thinking; however 'thinking for thinking's sake' never appealed to her like it did to most other Gems in Blue Diamond's court. The pursuit just seemed futile in her opinion.

Besides, the physical world was far more interesting.

Speaking of which, Lapis realized that several of the items along the walls resembled parts from certain non-human Earth species (feathers and claws). In fact, they appeared to be crafts, all well fashioned as evidenced by the solid coloring and structures.

Except for one pendant hanging right in the middle of the assortment above the fireplace: brown twine looped to a pink diamond bordered by a crayon drawing of blue and brown triangles surrounding an unconnected square of black squiggly lines. Within said lines sat a simple brown geometric drawing of a bear and a fat yellow crescent on each side, the open ends facing away from the animal.

Fingering the object in question, Lapis realized the diamond to be paper, only affirming the object's simplicity. "This looks like something I'd expect Steven to make." In spite of the plain tone, her eyes softened at the thought of her little half-Gem friend. She turned to Amber. "Did someone his age make this?"

Amber did not respond immediately, only gestured Lapis to bring the item to her. After the other Gem complied, Amber took the pendant with utmost care and regarded it with fondness, eyes twinkling as though she held the universe's greatest treasure.

Only when she placed the accessory on her neck did she finally take up her notebook and pencil.

 **Kurtis made this for Mother's Day when he was almost as old as Steven. I'm fairly certain he got inspiration from a website. He's self-sufficient like that.**

The heartfelt pride in Amber's words could not be more apparent. Lapis tried to ignore how it inexplicably made her metaphorical stomach twist, even while she returned to her seat with an empathetic smile, knees curled up to her face and arms balanced atop them. Her eyes trailed down from the pendant to the molehog's gemstone.

"So...how come you can coexist so well with humans?" From her memories of what she could see and hear from within the mirror, Lapis gathered that the 'monsters' were mentally fractured Gems, their violent tendencies due to the pain and confusion brought about by their distortion.

So what made this fuzzball next to her so different?

Amber fixed Lapis with a hesitant stare, a moment of deliberation before she sighed at last.

 **Rose had a theory that my interactions with humans reestablished my functionality as an Amber. The species and my Gem type do share a few behavioral similarities.**

"But you're still two completely different species," Lapis counter-argued, "And I'm pretty sure there's no safe way you two could have tested her theory." Rose cared far too much for humans to risk that, after all; Amber as well.

The molehog, as if reading the ocean bender's mind, threw her hands up in exasperation.

 **Thus the dead end I've been dealing with all these centuries. And I couldn't go to the others for help either. Otherwise** —the yellow Gem blew a raspberry as she slapped her hands together. The visual's meaning was not lost on Lapis.

"But you had to have known you'd need to come to them eventually. You're only one Gem."

At this point, Amber's face became downcast while her eyes grew misty, that tentative light back again. Lapis' face contorted in concern...only for it to double when Amber's eyes darkened.

 **Rose did something behind my back. I called her out on it, but** —the corrupted Gem's resolute expression crumbled into regret— **my words might have been harsher than they should have been**.

Lapis hardened her face, torn between annoyance and sympathy at her friend's lament towards the Rebellion leader. Such softheartedness was one of the qualities that made the aquatic Gem both appreciative of and frustrated by folks like Amber and Steven.

"So? She hid something from you even when she was supposed to help you." the hydromancer asserted as her feet returned to the floor, tone soft yet fierce in Amber's defense. "You had every right to say whatever you said. Besides, someone had to knock her down a few pegs."

Lapis then turned away with a downward scowl, mumbling, "It's not like she ever cared about other Gems to begin with."

Silence reigned afterwards. How long, Lapis could not tell, but after a while the lack of response got to her and before she could help herself, curiosity dragged her attention back to Amber, whose face held not the slightest trace of resentment or even anger. If anything, the fuzzy electroball remained composed as ever as she wrote down her next response.

The sight nearly led Lapis to ask why the absence of outrage, of incensed demands to take her words about Rose back. Instead she remained quiet, wanting to gauge Amber's reply and fully comprehend where her friend stood.

 **Rose made plenty of mistakes; she had plenty, PLENTY, of flaws, but she never stopped caring about our fellow Gems, no matter which side they fought for. Next to her love for this planet, their plight was part of the reason she rebelled in the first place.**

Right as Lapis opened her mouth to launch another verbal comeback, Amber flipped to the next page, her next statements prepared beforehand.

 **The others told me what happened to you after you know what. Homeworld's done just as much wrong unto you as the Crystal Gems have. Neither side's completely innocent or completely guilty, especially in war.**

Lapis shut up hard after reading this, dumbstruck not just by the valid argument but by how Amber seemed to perfectly predict her retort. Jaw set, she stared at her open hands with longing. Her voice came out as fragile as a faint breeze.

"Was Homeworld really that broken back then?"

Amber rubbed the back of her neck, pensive, eyes regarding Lapis with sad understanding. Every society's broken in some way.

"The real test lies in whether a society can compensate for its brokenness," Lapis reiterated in a monotone tone that did nothing to hide her microscopic smirk at Amber's flattered expression. "One of your favorite quotes if I remember right."

 **War wasn't the only option the Diamonds could have taken, but then again you know how they are about their authority. It's even in their title for stars' sake!**

"The Diamonds were kind of big-headed, weren't they? At least Rose Quartz wasn't conceited enough to name the rebellion after herself."

Now that would have truly been ridiculous. Wait—Lapis creased her eyebrows once she noticed—why was Amber sidling her eyes back and forth as if deciding the best way to break the news?

The writing came hurried and awkward. **Would you believe me if I said Pearl actually suggested that at one point?**

...

 **SNRRRRRK!**

Lapis bent over laughing so hard it's a miracle she didn't poof, surprised yet somehow also not at the thought of Pearl voicing such an idea. Amber only beamed with both pride and relief that she got a positive rise out of the other Gem.

Eventually the aqua alien settled down, and lounged back in a similar fashion to Amber. Her eyes went downcast again, only this time without the despair she'd known for so long. "I still don't know how I feel about this place, but...even if I'll always miss my old home, at least I have the chance to make a new one here."

With a hopeful smile, she turned to her companion. "That is, if you don't mind helping me out. Or, well, helping Steven and the others with helping me out."

No need to write this time; Amber gave her the grandest smile her snout could allow.

Feeling lighter, Lapis pointed back to the crafts. "So all those things on the wall. What's so important about them?"

Instead of waiting this time, Lapis looked over Amber's shoulder as the molehog wrote.

 **They're items we've either made or received from Uma's side of the family over the years. They're one of the ways she and Kurtis maintain their heritage as Lenni Lenape, a group of humans who live north of here. They'd lose their identity as a people if they didn't.**

Something in Lapis cringed, except not in a way that made her illusory skin crawl.

I'm Lapis Lazuli and you can't keep me trapped here anymore!

More like the awe from when Steven freed her from the mirror, only bittersweet.

Did you even wonder who I used to be?

And within that awe, a flash of something between anger and pity sprouted within, nourished by a sudden thought that hit too close to home. Her eyes narrowed, the familiar urge to ball her petite hands into fists resisted. Instead she stood up and went back to the crafts before Amber could catch her countenance.

Silence passed for who knew how long before Lapis' voice resurfaced, soft to the point of almost being inaudible. "Have people tried to do that to them?"

The shadows in Amber's eyes as she nodded weighed with something heavy and bleak.

 **Yes. The Lenape were fortunate because I stuck around long enough to be a sort of legend, even outside the tribe. Plus I may or may not have sabotaged contracts outsiders tried to make with them.**

Lapis tilted her head ever so slightly, noting the word 'fortunate'. "But outsiders still managed to do it to others."

Sorrow and regret streaked across Amber's eyes. **We Gems are capable of many things. Omnipresence is not one of them. Not that the others tried particularly hard.**

Ah, if Lapis recalled correctly from the countless times Pearl used the mirror, the conversations she overheard insinuated the Crystal Gems' drive to stay detached from humans despite their vow to protect them in the first place. If not for her emergent feelings for these 'tribes', the irony would have made Lapis scoff in derision.

Perhaps part of her still was.

As for the other part, she couldn't say. Never in her millennia of existence did Lapis Lazuli ever entertain the possibility of having a feeling in common with a few members of such a short-living race.

The context, she knew even with her limited knowledge of these people, had to be different.

But I'll never find out by just living my days out in the barn, will I?

"Hey Amber," from the wall she plucked off a monochrome bandolier bag whose leaf designs caught her interest, "What else do the Lenni Lenape have as part of their identity?"

No need to turn around to know the Steven-like sparkles emerging in Amber's eyes. The sound of the molehog bouncing up and down in her seat gave hint enough.

 **For starters, bags like the one in your hands relayed agreements and messages between tribes through the design. If the belt was white with black interwoven like that one—**

* * *

 **Note: Because Lapis being interested in Native American cultures makes too much sense to me.**


	15. Let It Be

**Note: Takes place on the evening of "Beach City Drift"; and the day after "Too Short to Ride".**

* * *

"—which is why we'll keep an eye on the supermarket in the upcoming weeks."

"By loitering?"

" _Stakeout._ How many times must I tell you this? _"_

"Then loitering with purpose."

"You just contradicted yourself! Have you been practicing logical ploys behind my back?"

"...Sure."

The deep red moped and sliver scooter halted side by side, their occupants dismounting just as they wrapped up this interesting conversation.

Ronaldo regarded the lot everyone stood in and the surrounding mountains along which it and the roads ran with nothing short of a charmed smile. He _loved_ coming to the underground racing circuit (even though nothing about this place screamed subterranean).

Kurtis inhaled the cool crisp summer air, usual stoicism peeled away by calm. He scanned the sparse crowd, eyes narrowing when they never found their objective. Right on cue with his thoughts, a thick arm then peeked from behind to shove a cell in his face.

"Just got Jane's text. Looks like her mom needed her help with something," Ronaldo retracted the phone into his pocket as he explained. Then he began to roll his shoulders as though in preparation for something strenuous. "She's gonna be a _little_ late getting here."

The Latino/Native American nodded before letting his eyes drift over the nighttime view that encompassed Beach City and the surrounding land, forests, and sea, the distant waters glimmering white in the moonlight. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, drinking in the beauty, before the firm warmth of Ronaldo's hand on his shoulder disrupted his reverie.

When he faced him, however, the bashful look on the other boy's face surprised him.

"Would it be okay if you spotted me while I practice?" At his friend's perked eyebrow, Ronnie took his hand off to rub the back of his neck. "I want to make sure I've got something to impress Jane with. I don't wanna bore her."

Kurtis blinked, surprised to the point of near amusement.

 _Ronaldo? Bore someone? Annoy yes, but bore?_

Impossible at best, let alone with Jane considering how much the ticket girl doted on the conspiracy theorist. Yet here stood Ron, the same guy who could blurt out bullshit like no tomorrow, fretting over scooter practice just because he wanted his girlfriend to be proud of him.

Kurtis found the reality touching. In an ironic way.

" _Please,_ senpai?"

Though not as ironic as _that._ Especially when Ronaldo pleaded with clasped hands and that huge shimmering gaze for the umpteenth time.

The darker-skinned boy looked away with a blush, frowning. Why did this guy insist on calling him that term?

Okay, so weeks of meeting up at the lighthouse (whether for Amber's tutelage or investigations) and whatnot _did_ culminate in a tentative friendship between the two boys. _He doesn't need anime eyes to get my cooperation by this point,_ the stocky youth mused with a resigned yet genuine smile.

The reward for his nod of surrender came as an extra firm bear hug.

The next few minutes went by surprisingly fast as Kurtis stood by and watched over his peer, watching the chubby teen practice a few basic moves. Sometimes, however, he would look away for the briefest of moments, expecting to see someone else, so lost in thought he forgot to keep his face neutral.

"Are you still looking for Jane?"

With a subtle jolt of surprise, Kurtis tore his view away from the roads to notice Ronaldo had halted right next to him. He blushed at letting himself get distracted.

Ronaldo assured his friend with a wink and gentle elbow to the ribs. "C'mon, you can tell me!"

Kurt eyed Ron for a moment then took a deep breath. "Steven and Connie aren't here."

Hearing the name of the two younger adolescents gave Ronaldo pause. "Are their parents dropping them off?" At his peer's silence, the blogger's eyes expanded. "Wait, you're not saying they're driving _themselves_ here, right?"

Really? One could literally hear Kurtis rolling his eyes. " _I_ drove. Stevonnie took over to practice by their self." That way, any possible altercation with the police would be averted. "They want to race some guy named Kevin for payback."

The way Ronaldo's nose wrinkled as if someone just stuck a rancid piece of pizza in his face did not escape his partner's notice.

 _Yeah, after hearing what those two said about their first time as Stevonnie, can't say I'm surprised._ Beyond his peripherals, Kurtis noticed Buck and Sour Cream approaching them, both boys' faces stony (well, Sour Cream's anyway; Buck remained as unreadable as usual).

"Bro," Buck dragged that word out as though he intended to pour in all the distress in the world into it, "Please tell us you're playing around."

"Dude," Vidalia's son sighed, feeling Kurtis needed some exposition, "That guy is not worth the time. He gets on everyone's nerves just for the fun of it."

"A second thought has much power," Buck added in a sage tone, "some people don't deserve that."

"You tried to talk Steven and Connie out of racing that guy didn't you?"

Kurtis shook his head no. One look at those kids' determined faces, especially Steven's, and he knew there'd be no convincing them. "Learn through action if not words."

Ronaldo sighed, figuring as much. He readily agreed with Buck and Sour Cream, and disliked the thought of one of his good friends stooping to Kevin's level. However, he'd also come to trust Kurt's sense of intuition. In which case, all any of them could do was trust Steven and Connie's sense of judgment.

"Then they'll be racing as Stevonnie," Buck stated, not asked. "Bold."

"Yep," Ronaldo affirmed as he fixed his glasses, full on analysis-mode, "From what I gathered beforehand and from Am— _another_ source's own explanations on fusion, Steven is capable of merging with both Gems and humans. That makes sense enough. My former theory postulated Stevonnie as a specially fabricated bodysuit designed for espionage."

At the other boys' bewildered stares, he drew his hands up in defense. "I had limited info at the time, okay?"

Before the conversation could continue, everyone turned at the sound of two cars revving down from the curve and halting to screeching stops in the middle of the lot: one the unmistakable Pizza jeep; the other a deep gold sports car so sleek and shiny Kurtis felt glad he wore dark glasses.

"Ugh!" Jenny griped as she slapped her hands against the wheel, "My practice didn't pay off at all! That was _so_ bad!"

Out of the sports car stepped a lean teen with mocha skin, short-cropped black hair riddled with the scent of overly expensive cologne, and clothes that equally reeked of someone with too much money and time on his hands. His languid incline against the car, half-lidded gaze, and drowsy-not drowsy tone of voice confirmed that impression.

"I know, baby. I'm the worst."

Kurtis scowled instantly. _Impressive. Five seconds and I already can't stand him._

Ignoring the Pizza girl's disgruntled scoff, Pretty Boy called out to anyone who had the guts to face him on the course next, to which Ronaldo smartly hid Peedee's scooter behind himself, knowing better. When no one answered, the showoff's eyes strolled across the crowd, searching for victims himself.

Then his gaze landed on Kurtis.

Combing back his hair, Pretty Boy stepped towards the oddball pair until he stood within one foot of the taller male, half-lidded gaze trailing from bottom to top, landing on the passive face and round glasses.

"I thought I heard rumors about a new face to this garbage town. Hey handsome, name's Kevin. And yes, I said that without a mirror. Course if ya'd like to stand still so I can use your pretty lenses as a sub, I wouldn't mind."

Kurtis gave no response—aside an 'over the glasses' stare fit for something smooshed underfoot, a possible outcome if this guy insisted on invading his personal space for any longer. A bit of flattery sparked in him when his peripherals caught Ronaldo frowning at the egotist in disgust.

Fortunately, Pretty Boy elected to lean away, hands raised and head tilted in cool arrogance. "Silent type, eh? I can dig. We'll see how long that lasts after I'm done showing the next loser my skills."

Jenny mimed oral ejection of her breakfast and lunch in the background. Ronaldo and Sour Cream bit back a chortle at the display; Buck smirked; Kurtis once again felt honored.

 _Un_ fortunately, Kevin stepped even closer, raising a hand as if to cup Kurtis' chin. "Though if you're feelin' up to it, hunk, I guess I could spare you and your cute little moped a shot."

No need to. The unexpected Dundai (to everyone but Kurtis anyway) diverted all attention with its flair-studded entrance. As did the tall figure stepping out of it as their black poofy hair flowed in the evening breeze, eyes dark with determination.

" _I'll_ race you!" They pointed at Kevin with all the conviction of a queen and king in one. "Now step away from the man with the ponytail!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _C-flat, A, A-sharp...nah, that doesn't sound right. Maybe...Ugh!_

It was no use. Greg set the guitar down on his lap and closed his eyes with a despondent groan.

The sound of ice cubes tinkling against glass drew the portly man's attention to a tall glass of chilled cherry juice offered to him by Uma. He took it with a grateful smile, the elder woman returning the mien before going back to her seat to Greg's left to resume her knitting.

The music man stared into his drink for a few moments, the stress lines under his eyes reflected in the cold red, before taking a meager sip. Somebody taller than Uma yet shorter than him leant against his shoulder from the right.

"If you need some ginger ale, I can steal some from Pete or Kofi."

To anyone who barely knew Marcus, the Peruvian would sound serious; Greg did not fall into that category. The ex-rock star smiled at the joke, shoulders hunching from held back chuckles.

"Op! Look at that, Uma!" Marcus breezily crowed, "I told you I'd get a smile outta this man tonight."

A wily hum comprised the grandmother's response. "And here I assumed you'd be achieving that through other means."

That quip got Greg blushing _very_ hard. Marcus only rolled his eyes, hardy flustered by the innuendo, as he broke contact with the other man.

Despite himself, Greg still smiled (albeit bashfully), thankful to have these two oddballs taking his mind off all these worries. With a deep breath, he leaned back in the lawn chair, feeling somewhat more relaxed.

"Guess I'm worried letting Connie and Steven have the Dundai was a bad idea."

Marcus leaned forward in his wheelchair with a knowing stare. "Kurtis pitched the idea to you and got a home run, huh?"

Hunching his shoulders to hide his blush, Greg started plucking his strings in an absentminded manner. "Your kid's really persuasive!"

"You should have seen Little Bloom at the dinner two days ago," Uma commented.

"Deflected every question from Priyanka's interrogation to the point their little spat felt like a tennis match," Marcus added in a prideful tone.

"Yeah," Greg looked between the two Flores as he replied, "Connie gave me and Schtu-ball the details at the Car Wash before that Kevin kid showed up. So I guess Dr. Maheswaran and Kurt's argument was the highlight of that night."

That grin of Marcus could not have been smarmier. "Nope! That would be Amber strolling onto the table and shapeshiftin' into her true not-blue self." Not that the sight of 'Sparky' taking a seat at the table failed to get heads turning. "Just hopped up and exposed the truth like an encore."

Greg could only give a low whistle. The little sparkplug had more gumption than he thought.

"You wanna know the wacky part?" Marcus lost his grin and gazed into the night, dark eyes gleaming in wonder. "They just took it. Aside from bugged eyes and open mouths, they rolled with it and just asked her straight from the top. Questions like," he started to count off his fingers, "'how did you end up like this' and 'how long have you dealt with humans' and of course 'how good of a caretaker are you'."

So pretty much the standard to expect from Connie's parents.

Uma halted in her project. "One question of theirs, though, bothers me. In fact, we would like to get your input on it." Please note that she said this without taking her eyes off her knitting, while still sounding completely chill, mind you. "Is there a cure for this?"

Greg rubbed his neck and shifted his gaze downward. "Um, I don't know much about Gem stuff besides what Rose and the others told me, so I can't really say."

Marcus clamped an arm around him as a means of assurance. "Ah, _no te preocupes de eso._ We're all in the same boat. That's why Amber wants your help."

" _MY HELP?!_ "

Greg needed a moment to catch his breath!

What did Amber honestly think _he_ could do to help her? Okay, he pulled through for the Gems on more than one occasion. Still, if Rose could never find a way to heal all those 'corrupted Gems', how on Earth was a normal guy like him supposed to accomplish the same?

Except Amber wanted his help specifically (for whatever reason) and Greg didn't have the heart to turn her down, misgivings or not, so he might as well give this whole cure search a shot for her sake.

He sighed with heavy reluctance. "I'll...see what I can do."

With a triumphant 'ha', Marcus clapped his back in reward. "Atta Guitar Dad!"

Chuckling past the nervousness of the accepted task, Greg tossed him an angled half-smile. "Ya know, Mark, Marty's not here anymore. You can use your old nickname for me if ya want."

Other hand on his chest, Marcus gazed at the man in faux affront. "With all due respect, Mr. Universe, I was hoping to avoid disrespect towards you, but be it far from me if you insist on inflicting offense upon yourself... _Starman_."

The two men shared a good round of laughter, Greg looping an arm over Mark's shoulders in a half-hug of camaraderie. Just like the good old days.

A sudden realization occurred to Greg: "Amber's over at the temple telling the Gems the same thing you guys told me, isn't she?"

Marcus pointed a finger at the ex-rocker. "And I betcha half my health insurance our kids are havin' the same talk. Maybe."

Uh. Greg needed a moment to blink. "Wait. How long have you guys been planning—"

"Ever since the day before we moved back here," Uma answering without missing a beat, only to pause in her knitting and furrow her brow with a thoughtful upward gaze, "Expect little Ronnie, of course. But then again that's what flexibility is for."

"Amby meant to ask you and the Crystal Crew altogether after that whole debacle with Marty," Marcus continued, "but she decided to let you have your moment of monetary glory."

That and then there came the whirlwind trip to Empire City Greg took with his son and, of all Gems, Pearl the next day, not to mention that dinner with the Maheswarans that same night. And Amber and Blue Bell got so wrapped up in their talk yesterday that they lost track of the time.

In any case, Marcus sent a gentle punch to Greg's chest. "Good job, by the way."

Mr. Universe eyed Mr. Flores in wonder. "On the money or patching things up with Pearl?"

Marcus stroked his chin in thought. He decided against mentioning the unintentional pun. "Pearl, but _really_ good question."

Greg simply leaned back in his chair, eyes wide and stunned, taking in the foresight of this family. A nervous laugh escaped him. "You guys are scary. Awesome...but scary."

Uma patted his thick arm as a means of comfort. "We Flores just like to think ahead."

 _Speakin' of scary_ , Marcus rolled up his right sleeve back to check his silver watch, _Starman Jr. and company should be back by this time; otherwise Pri-Pri is gonna have all our hides._

As if on cue, the Dundai came to stop in front of the flower shop, the engine cutting off as Kurtis come out the front passenger side to get his moped out of the back and a beaming Stevonnie on the other, flipping their voluminous hair out of their eyes.

"Hey guys!"

Greg jumped to his feet and approached the teens with a half-relieved, half-anxious expression. "How did it go?"

"Pretty good!" Stevonnie exclaimed with a chipper expression. They shared a happy glance with Kurtis, who joined their side with a faint smile, moped draped over his shoulders. "Better than expected actually!"

Marcus's eyebrows went up as he leaned forward in his wheelchair, eager to know. "So you showed that sucka' up?"

"Nah, I pretty much lost," the fusion confirmed with a shrug, their smile still present. At the adults' blank stares, they rubbed their arm sheepishly. "Kind of a crazy story."

A pink flash later, Connie and Steven were back, same mien as Stevonnie on their faces. The former held up an assuring hand.

"We'll explain on the way home."


	16. This is Love, This is War

**Note: Takes place the day after "Restaurant Wars"; four days after "Beach City Drift"**

* * *

 _You could have cost your team their lives with such lack of focus! What were you even thinking?!_

 _Easy, everybody! Someone mind telling us what happened?_

 _What_ happened _is that Amber prioritized her curiosity over the mission!_

 _Maybe something spooked her? She_ was _standing there looking out at the field, eyes all wide..._

 _Oh ho, well that obviously narrows down the cause! We're in the middle of a war, Garnet!_

 _You think I don't know that? We've been out there just as much as you! Not all of us are stone-cold Renegades!_

 _Obviously! Both our rising and this planet will wound up a lost cause if we allow these sorts of mistakes!_

 _Then let's figure out a solution to these mistakes so that doesn't happen! Otherwise we're no better than—_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

" _Home?!_ Why would I wanna go _home_?"

The golden long-haired dog suppressed her wince at Ronaldo's volume. Schist, this kid knew how to screech.

At least here between the lighthouse and the fence, nobody could see the pair unless they had serious determination—and considering the 'situation' back in town, Amber had little time left before that case became reality.

"I, Ronaldo Fryman, have WAAAYYYY better things to do," the boy flew his arms to the side, offended, before balling his hands into fists "than waste my time and energy on people who can't appreciate the emotional investment demanded by paranormal investigations! After all that time you spent tutoring us, you should know that better than anyone, Sensei!"

Despite time running short, Amber's countenance defined 'reluctant' better than the definition itself. She enjoyed Ronaldo's company and appreciated the blogger's influence on Kurtis, so she had reservations about administering 'tough love', especially with the weariness she could sense behind the teen's outraged facade.

Fortunately, Ronaldo let his hackles droop once he realized the canine Gem would not answer. "Why are you even here? Kurt and Uma won't be back 'til tomorrow."

Reaching into the black backpack at her feet, Amber produced her cellphone and switched to a favorited page of KBCW—the one about crying at Brooding Hill.

Ronaldo's blush would have put Yellow Diamond's shine to shame. The drawbacks he got for publishing his emotional woes on the Internet. Childish whimpers echoed down the chubby teen's throat as he turned away from Amber, fighting back the urge to cry in front of her. He didn't need to see writing telling him to suck it up.

Something tingly dotted his right arm, the hairs there standing up enough to knock him out of his funk, just in time for him to brace for Amber, now in badger form and invisible, hoisting him onto her broad back.

The blogger only got as far as a confused "what" before the golden beast rendered him unseen as well then bounded down the hill at breakneck speed, giving Ronaldo barely enough time to grasp the large neck for dear life.

The Fryman heir barely contained the urge to scream, knowing well enough even in shock not to attract unneeded attention. Besides, he still had the cool image to maintain in front of Sensei, botched as it already was at this point. Instead, he stuck to restrained yelps from both the wind whistling in his ears and the bumps from his ride's powerful dash.

And forget looking. While Ronaldo usually enjoyed fast rides, certain events from yesterday had soiled his ability to enjoy, period. Besides, he trusted Amber enough not to fear she'd lead him someplace dangerous—or at least not leave him to fend for himself.

Eventually, the feel of high speed decreased to that of a slow trot. Once Ronaldo sensed that change, he reopened his eyes to discover him and Amber near an open field with sparse trees, a crystalline podium nearby and a barn further in the distance. And seated on the edge of the podium, attention drifting away from the tablet strapped to her arm was—

"YOU?!" Peridot spat in disbelief after nearly falling off her perch from shock, turning to Amber while gesturing an exasperated hand at the tubby theorist, "Of all the humans to bring here, why _HIM?!"_

The sunny giant tilted her head and blinked in a way that asked 'why not'.

Ronaldo hopped off and cleared his throat before a one-sided argument could spring up. That also meant both Gems' attention landed on him, sticking the boy under a rather uncomfortable spotlight as he could sense Amber meant to show him something not meant for human eyes.

Or 'Ronaldo eyes' as Kurtis might say. _Man, I really wish you here right now, partner._

Adjusting his glasses, he slipped on an academic persona. "Peridot, correct? With all due respect, I don't entirely know Amber's intentions myself, though I can surmise enough to deduct she means to show me something of emotional comfort."

Peridot stared at Ron with a blank stare then Amber with a questioning one, unsure how to rebuke (or whether she should for that matter). Amber only responded with a long-suffering headshake full of 'it's a short yet sad story'. The technician rubbed her eyes with a sigh before standing up and gesturing the pair to get on already.

"Let's just get this over with."

Now Ronaldo, having learned enough from Amber about Gem culture plus being the sci-fi buff he was, expected a smorgasbord of weird sensations from traveling this 'Warp Pad'. The trip did not prove him wrong, though on the bright side other than a blinding light, the feeling of weightlessness, and having his body tugged through space, the experience turned out to be pretty cool.

Too bad it lasted far too soon for in seconds the pad landed the trio in a flowery meadow full of strawberries, large hills in the near distance and large 'platforms' of land floating far above, jagged underneath as though a giant ripped them straight out the ground.

Amber and Ronaldo stepped off, the former leading the way while the latter followed and marveled at the beautiful scenery. A minute in, the latter noticed Peridot tailing them and cocked an eyebrow at the green Gem.

The Kindergartener did not take long to notice. "As leader of the Crystal Gems, my duty entails looking after the organic inhabitants, which includes making sure Gem tech doesn't shorten their lifespans."

If Ronaldo had been a normal person, he might have gulped at that last part and noped out of there. Instead he blushed with a sideways glance opposite Peridot, both from hurt pride due to the subtle dig at his capabilities and thankfulness for Amber's supervision every time he and Kurtis would study those ship parts.

Still, hard to beat the prospect of exposure to more alien technology.

"Besides," Peridot, matching her rival nerd, perched her visors like glasses, "I'm hoping to glean some info from her once she's done with you."

Ronaldo's eyebrows arched, curiosity piqued. "What kind of info are we talking about?"

Peridot waved a dismissive hand at him. "The kind I doubt _you'd_ make good use of."

"I beg to differ, my extraterrestrial rival," Ronaldo huffed, crossing his arms, chin in the air, "for Amber has made certain that Kurtis and I are well-versed in your technology."

So smug, he never noticed the emerald Gem freeze in her steps, wide-eyed and disbelieving. Then, without warning, a surprisingly strong grip on the right arm sent him spinning around to face a suspicious, narrow-eyed Peridot.

"What do you mean _my_ technology?"

"Uh...," Ronaldo stammered, realizing his verbal slip too late, and tried to remedy his epic fail of a poker face with a nervous chuckle. "When I said 'your', I meant as in your people's technology in general, which, I might add, could be really awesome stuff for human scientists to—"

Peridot saw right through that plastered grin. "The others made certain to render all Gem machinery on Earth either inaccessible or unusable to humans, and, while we don't know each other well, I highly doubt Amber would let you anywhere _near_ such complicated tech."

At this point, she let go and stepped back calm as Sapphire, an index finger pointed vertically, "In other words...", and then jabbed it right at the blogger, "YOU PILFERED A PIECE OF MY SHIP!"

Okay, hold on now! "I don't get why _you're_ getting upset about this," Ronaldo proceeded to yell and point back in turn, shoulders hunched, "You used that stuff back when you were working for your Diamond overlords. I thought you're protecting the Earth now!"

One blink, two blinks. Peridot rubbed the visor in place of her eyes. "First off, I shudder to know how _you_ came across knowledge of the Diamonds long before you met Amber. Your online depictions of them and Homeworld alone are terrifying," then added under her breath, "and still inaccurate."

Thank goodness other human viewers, per Peridot and Lapis' perusal of the comments section that one time, wrote off Ronaldo's demonstrations as 'roleplaying'.

"Second," she unobstructed her face to point at Ronaldo once again, "that piece of technology is from _Homeworld._ That fact alone makes it dangerous!"

 ** _Thump. Thump. Thump._**

Her narrow face suddenly went pale, eyes wide and stricken. "Although," she squeaked, "I can think of a few counterexamples."

Ronaldo blinked in confusion at the abrupt change in demeanor—until he felt someone's warm breath billowing down his back and shoulders. Dread in his gut, he turned to discover Amber towering over them, unamused and one-hundred percent done.

The two intellectuals spent the rest of the trip on the badger-bear's back as punishment, the unsaid threat of being thrown off and falling hundreds of feet heavy on their heads once the trio reached a series of levitating steps leading up to one of the larger platforms. Much to the passengers' peace of mind, the pieces of land held up surprisingly well as Amber hopped up them.

Once they reached the top, Peridot remained atop her fellow stone ("I enjoy the boost in height") while Ronaldo dismounted and peered at what appeared to be nothing but flat grassy mound all around.

He crossed his arms in slight disappointment, pouting. _Huh. I swear she brought me here to show me something._

As if in tandem with the boy's thoughts, Amber, who'd been poking around a certain spot in the middle of the grass, gestured a forepaw in an 'over here' manner, beckoning Ronaldo. Once the teen reached the two lithomorphs, the pseudo-mammal lit up her left paw gold and placed it upon the spot, electricity arcing right into the ground.

In an instant, pink circuitry lit up from underneath to form a perfect diamond, which then converted into blinding light for a second before digitally fading away to reveal a sizable passageway opening to a carnation escalator illuminated by neon red lights, the walls seeming to pulsate with the same colored circuitry from before as the mobile stairs began operating in response to the trio's presence.

Ronaldo's and Peridot's breaths hitched, eyes glittering and mind fast-forwarding with all the possibilities as to what lay down there.

" _Whoa,"_ both uttered in unison, unbeknownst to each other.

Amber lowered down so Peridot could get off then reverted back to molehog form. Taking Ronaldo's right hand, she gently tugged to urge him forward. Ronaldo snapped out of his awe and responded with a half-anxious, half-eager nod.

Together the three oddballs descended within.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"—cuz you're the only one who keeps tabs on both her _and_ Ronaldo!"

No response. Kurtis simply continued reading through his copy of Carl Sagan's _Cosmos_ as though there weren't a mob of angry/concerned teens in the lighthouse right now, hovering over him and the couch paying respect to his nonchalant butt.

Jenny, a low growl escaping her, snatched the book up to grab the burly male's attention. It worked (if you count a slight head tilt as 'working'). At least Kurtis _appeared_ to be looking in the gang's general direction this time.

Sometimes Jenny _hated_ those glasses.

"Look," she continued, other hand to her face, "We really jacked up Ronaldo's relationship, and we wanna make it up to him. 'Cept we haven't seen him all day! You and Sparky have been spending a ton of time with him since a while now, so you've gotta know where he's gone!"

 _Now_ she got Kurtis' full attention. The young man raised his head even more, eyebrows furrowed.

"The Restaurant Wars!" Steven suddenly blurted, hands in the air. "I ordered breaded mozzarella sticks with ketchup from Peedee and Mr. Pizza saw and thought Mr. Fryman was poaching on his business, so they both got all angry and started going all crazy, which then got _us_ going all crazy, so we tried coming up with plans to make them drop the feud and—"

Kiki shot a hand to the boy's shoulder and gave a firm squeeze. "Steven! _Breathe_."

The Universe kid inhaled nice and deep, cheeks puffing as he held, and exhaled slow and easy. He patted Kiki's hand as a way of both assurance and thanks.

"I'm okay. I'm _O-_ kay."

Peedee, on the other hand, looked ready to choke on the disbelief brought about by the confusion still on Kurtis' face. "How could you not know any of this? Where _were_ you during the whole time?! Your dad and even Sparky were there!"

Kiki suddenly snapped her fingers, eyes lighting up. "Oh, right! You and your Grandma were at a powwow in Jersey for the last few days! You mentioned that on E-Chat last week."

 _So he didn't know about what happened between Mr. Pizza and Mr. Fryman or to Ronaldo,_ Steven realized. _But Mr. Flores and_ _ **Amber**_ _did._

He took another deep breath, slowing his speeding conclusions. There were other details he needed to confirm first. "Kurtis, when we were trying to get Mr. Pizza and Mr. Fryman to end their feud, we first tried making Ronaldo and Kiki look like they were dating."

 _"What?"_

Without thinking, Kurtis whipped off his glasses, only for everyone to step back in wide-eyed shock. While the concern and lack of understanding etched in his frown came as no surprise, no one expected bloodshot bags under his dark eyes or for said eyes to be red as though...

Wait. Steven's brows creased worriedly, his frown matching. "Kurtis? Have you been...crying?"

A silent gasp escaped the older boy once he realized his mistake.

When Kurtis tried to put the glasses back on, Steven intercepted the hand holding them with a firm grip on the older boy's wrist, his dark eyes piercing Kurtis with stubborn sympathy and desire to understand. The eye-to-eye standoff lasted until three minutes later, when Kurtis finally cast his eyes downward with a relenting sigh.

Steven let go, allowing the man's hand and glasses to drop to the side and onto the cushions, thankful his own resolve won out. As everyone waited patiently for an explanation, Kurtis looked away, eyes heavy. After a moment of hesitant silence he muttered something.

"Um, Kurtis," Steven sat down beside him. "Could you repeat that?"

Once again, a low tone, albeit slightly less inaudible. "My gr...fa..."

"A little louder, please...?"

Kurtis tried hard not to bare his teeth. "My gran...fa..."

"Kurtis Flores," Kiki admonished with crossed arms, patience thinning, "you're mumbling."

"MY _GRANDFATHER._ "

...

 _Okay._ Steven scrunched his face in confusion after another lapse of quiet. _Not sure where to go with that._

Though judging by how Kurtis griped that answer, he had a fair hunch. He would have had an even fairer hunch had he only looked forward because if he had, he would have also noticed the dawning realization and sinking dismay on the other teens' faces as well as the silent counseling stare they shared.

"Um Steven," Jenny murmured at last, arms crossed for reasons no longer tied to annoyance. She waited until the younger boy looked back at her. "It's probably best you hear this from Kurt. Alone."

"Huh? W-Why?"

Steven's worry only increased as the three restaurant kids filed out of the room, Peedee the last to leave. "It'll be easier on him if you're the only one listening." He offered a weak smile. "We'll send you a text if we see Ronaldo."

Then there were two. Steven and Kurtis spent the next minute staring at the closed door.

"She took my book," the older male stated, more deadpan than a tombstone.

Steven cleared his throat, getting comfortable for what he felt sure would be a _long_ talk. "So your grandpa. It sounds like you guys don't get along, right?"

The narrowed eyes and curled upper lip spoke everything for Kurtis.

"He's that bad?" 'How' almost leapt off Steven's tongue, but the young Quartz held back that tidbit, feeling it sounded too nosy. "Is that why you don't look so good this morning?"

Kurt's eyes angled down. "He made Uma cry."

Something at the base of Steven's soul clenched at the thought of the elderly woman in tears. Not just because she was always so nice to him, but how her chill demeanor reminded him so much of Garnet. After a heartbroken gaze at Kurtis' sad scowl, he administered a gentle hug to his taller friend's arm.

"You spent the night making sure she got sleep, didn't you?"

Kurtis sighed, his body sagging against Steven. He bit his lip. "We agreed to leave early."

Steven couldn't help but smile as he pulled back. "And you and Amber came here waiting for Ronaldo the moment you got back, right?"

Kurtis failed to hide his blush. "Everyone else insisted."

Huh. That part sounded kind of vague. Steven grew puzzled. "Everyone as in...?"

"Uma, Dad, Amber, Pearl."

"Wait, Pearl? When did _she_ talk to you?"

"She called this morning. Said you'd be here."

Steven tapped his chin, racking his brain for the memory in question. "She never told me anything like—," only to blush once he remembered, "...unless I ran faster than she could tell me after I called Jenny and the others about finding Ronaldo." He faced Kurtis with a bashful mien and chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh, heh. My bad."

Kurtis could only blink at first, wide-eyed and blank. Then for the first time in the last twenty-four hours, he felt a laugh echo against the walls of his throat. A faint one, but it lessened the storm cloud of his mind. A brotherly smile gracing him, he tousled Steven's afro, the weight in him lifting even more at the younger boy's giggle.

"She also said Amber's looking after Ron." His grin waned in confusion at the way Steven gripped his own face, cheeks smooshed between the hands and enamored smile nearly blinding.

Steven poked the other boy's left cheek. "You just shortened Ronaldo's name," he squeaked like a baby mouse that just uncovered the world's biggest hunk of cheese.

Kurtis could only roll his eyes, not even caring about the faint heat emanating from his face this time. Where was the point in hiding embarrassment anymore? Returning his glasses to their rightful place, he grabbed his jacket where it'd been draped over the right arm of the sofa.

"Where are you going?"

" _We're_ going outside," Kurtis amended as he donned his jacket and stood up.

Steven, glimmering from hope, hopped off the couch in suit. "Are we gonna look for Ronaldo?"

"Close." Kurtis kneeled, hands on the floor, his back to Steven so the younger boy would get the hint. Steven happily accepted.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A familiar shot of blond hair ambled down the boardwalk, face solemn and in deep thought. Ronaldo, hands in his pockets, kept his eyes trained on the wooden planks as he pondered the fatigue and relief in his heart after the reunion back home.

His father unsurprisingly had been livid—yet also remorseful, an unexpected emotion considering the man's near-indifferent annoyance at his firstborn's distress yesterday.

Ronaldo had spent the last hour answering question after question, overwhelmed by the man's rampant apologies and assurances to try better as a parent. Thank goodness Peedee had been there to keep their dad's hysteria under control.

Still, the Fryman heir needed time to himself to let the previous conversation sink in.

He knew one fact for sure, though, one that worked a meek grin out of him as he pulled out a yellowed slip of paper and reread it. "Maybe Amber and Peridot were right, after all."

"Ronnie?"

Ronaldo felt his insides freeze at the soft-spoken words, uttered by an even softer yet achingly familiar voice from behind him. Breath bated, he hesitantly turned, hoping against hope he would not be met with a hallucination, some trick induced by canary overlord technology.

So his eyes sought the evidence. They did not disappoint.

"J-Jane...," his voice trembled at the slender brunette right before him, gazing at the young man through misty eyes. "I..."

He fully faced his _ohime-sama_ , feeling as if (half-dreading) that he might wake up any moment. At last, the young man pocketed the paper slip and stepped forward tremulously. When his love remained where she stood, still solid and there, his words let loose.

"I...I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I'M SORRY! EVERYTHING YOU SAW WAS JUST A RUSE TO HELP THE TOWN! I NEVER MEANT TO MAKE YOU THINK—"

The air in his throat halted at the feel of thin soft arms enveloping his neck, all apologies and assurances brought to a screeching halt by the demure voice in his ear.

"Steven and Kurtis told me everything. I'm so sorry for not listening."

There lay no more doubt. This was real.

Ronaldo embraced his princess, reunited once more, tears rampant and free.

Elsewhere, a pair of star-studded eyes gleaned the scene from the front window of Flores and Gardening.

Quick and silent, Steven dashed from the front window all the way to the living room, where Kurtis had been waiting ever since they returned from their talk with Jane back at the lighthouse minutes ago.

Upon entry, Steven had his mouth ready to cheer their success, only to pause at the sight of Kurtis collapsed against the sofa, still and asleep, Amber's dog form curled beside him, also in slumber. With a soft smile, Steven draped the blanket over Kurt and Amber, a pat on the shoulder and pet on the head (respectively of course) for good measure.

"We did good, amigos. We did good."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _That's why we've all agreed to arrange a surprise for you._

 _Easy, Sparky! You're not in trouble! Ya just been lookin' like you need someone to talk to._

 _We'd like to help you through this. Problem is we're not the best Gems for this job._

 _But, lucky for you, we know someone far more qualified!_

 _Speaking of whom, HEY!_

 _Yes, hello! We've brought her!_

 _Just a moment! I'm almost done finishing up these flowers. There we go! Hi there! I'm Lilac Pearl, but please. Call me Lily._


	17. Figuring Out

**Note:** **Takes place d** **uring the events of "Monster Reunion"; three days after "Restaurant Wars"**

* * *

Today, Greg Universe learned a profound truth: it's possible to be in hysterics while staying near-silent at the same time.

Evidence: Amber's sidelong position in the man's office chair as she gripped her sides in wheezy laughter.

To be fair, though, Greg couldn't blame her after he recounted... _that_. Heck, if not for his own embarrassment at the memory he would've laughed too. The middle-aged man shrugged with a bashful grin. "Well, now you know why I don't do covers anymore."

No kidding. Amber needed another solid minute before she regained her composure and sat up straight again, breathing still funky from laughing so much. When her eyes caught the clock up on the wall, she hopped off and began gathering her belongings and stuffing them into the backpack at the chair's feet.

From behind, Greg quirked an eyebrow in surprise until he noticed the time, too. He set away the microphone he'd been holding onto the table beside him.

"Time already?"

Amber nodded with an apologetic grin. Much as she enjoyed the ex-rocker's company, she had another promise to keep somewhere else and little time to get there.

Fortunately Greg understood. "Ah, don't sweat it!" He waved a dismissive hand as he moved to open the front door for Amber, who followed beside him. "Gem business's no picnic. Sorry we didn't make good headway on that cure by the way. Guess we got a little too sidetracked."

Noting the wilting grin, Amber hastened to her notebook.

 **It's fine! I thought I needed a pretense to socialize with you.** At Greg's blank stare, Amber winced before scrambling to continue her response. **What I mean is you're probably not used to Gems genuinely wanting to hang out with you.**

When Greg's face flickered to something sadder, she only flinched harder.

 **Not that I DON'T want to! It's just that many of us never made actual efforts to get to know humans during the war.**

A tense hunch took up her shoulders, the molehog knowing how that all sounded, before she braced for an offended tirade. A patient sympathetic smile crossed Greg's face instead. "Huh, that's too bad. Kinda ironic, too. What about you then?"

Amber scratched her face, thoughtful. **I've always enjoyed their company. A lot more than I ever enjoyed that of other Gems** —recent events ran through Amber's mind, silently reprimanding her— **Mostly. I just didn't know if you would believe me if I came upfront and asked.**

Back when the Flores consisted of only her, Kurtis and Marcus, she—or rather Sparky—often witnessed Greg at some sort of odds with the other Gems besides Rose. (Okay Pearl ninety-nine percent of the time, but you see the point.) Just like with most of the other aspects of her old friends she's behind on, she had little context for help.

And from what little context she _did_ have before her talk with Pearl at the arena, yikes.

 _'_ _Not to mention there's my corruption to consider—and that's a whole other tar pit altogether.'_

Greg deepened his frown at those last few statements, not just because they implied self-esteem issues on Amber's part (woo boy, could the man relate to _that_ ) but...well self-consciousness towards her own people, too, which felt bizarre to think about in terms of the Gems since Greg never got that impression from Pearl or any of the others.

Now he knew very well how much emotional baggage weighed each of them down (and experienced firsthand much to his dismay), but none of it included simply _being_ their species. They all seemed so accepting and even proud of their 'Gemhood' that hearing one of them confessing the contrary surprised him.

But he knew better than to pry. "There's no shame in asking. You're pretty cool to hang around; also pretty sure you're at least _semi-_ serious about this whole 'curing corruption' thing."

He had her there. Amber scratched a claw against her cheek again, not sure how to respond until the carwash owner waved an assuring hand. "Don't worry. I once decoded a message from outer space! I'm sure _one_ of these days we'll crack it."

Amber smiled in gratitude before reaching into her backpack and tossing Greg a red box. The chubby musician caught the item easily, confused until he read the hug white block letters: _Cheez-E._

 **Consider it an edible token of our camaraderie.**

...Greg's eyes shifted from Amber to the box then back. He managed an awkward smile. "Uh, thanks?"

Then after a resolute _ZIP, RUSTLE, ZIP_ followed by a polite nod, our little cheeseball departed.

Once Amber went around the corner and he finished waving goodbye, Greg took a second glance at the box then perked.

"Oh hey! Cheddar Jack!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _'_ _Oh hey, sand in my face. Again.'_

Amber promptly spat the offending material out before rolling onto her back, checking herself.

From mid-thigh down, her right leg sported part of a yellow rubber jumpsuit along with a black boot, the dark gray upper rim and soles a sharp contrast against the tawny sunlit sand. The change lasted ten seconds before the limb flickered back to its bestial self.

Should one feel relief or annoyance in this situation? Amber sighed regardless.

On the bright side, the shift lasted longer than last time; not so bright side, the delay between states seemed to be increasing in length, let alone choosing the most inopportune times to act up.

In other words, Amber had to deal with limbs that could turn intangible at any moment, one of the reasons she hadn't been allowed on missions yet.

Even fighting had become a problem in the days since the Restaurant War craze, the hiccups leading to her getting poofed more times than she wished to count. At least before she could force the brief changes with minimal effort. _Now_ that effort took more out of her, taking away energy needed for other tasks.

Nowadays, she could barely keep focus during training without expecting a close-up with the ground.

Pearl did not react well once she realized the reason Amber kept shapeshifting in the middle of fights.

 _You shouldn't force your form like that! Your condition's precarious enough as it is!_

Although Amber would have preferred the anger and disappointment over what Pearl told her later in the presence of the other Crystals, Connie and Steven included.

 _I talked with the others and we all agree it'd be best to work training more to your needs._

 _'_ _In other words, more handicaps. Lovely,'_ Amber griped as she gingerly returned to her feet and continued towards the beach house, wary and disgruntled. Ugh, how much longer will she have to deal with this bodily indecisiveness?

"Yo, Mole Mom!"

Amber halted her trek towards the stairs and looked up at the familiar call, happy for the distraction, and posed her paw to wave.

Only to wish she hadn't, greeting grin drooping instantly.

Bear in mind, she didn't _dislike_ Amethyst.

Not to say she was bosom buddies with the tiny Quartz either. Every time they were in the same room or area together, there had always been someone else there as a sort of mediator. The two Gems could still glean off general information about each other, whether from the others or from observation, but that was all.

Now marked the first time they were interacting one on one.

It's just...did Amethyst have to do this? And by 'this', Amber was referring to her purple lookalike strutting down the steps, flashing claws and all in jazz hands fashion once at the bottom.

"So whatcha think? Too quilly?" Amethyst gave herself a look over as though she were a fashion designer critiquing her own work, going so far as to pose like a supermodel. All the display received consisted of an unsettled stare and subsequent lack of eye contact. She didn't take long to notice. "What?"

Sucking in a breath through gritted teeth, Amber took one last look at Amethyst then hastily wrote something into the sand between them with her finger. Due to the positioning, Amethyst had to angle herself to get a good look at the sentence.

 **Could you please turn back?**

 _Blink, blink._ Amethyst scrunched her face at the other Gem, perplexed and a bit offended. _"_ Why?"

Taking a deep breath, Amber tried again. **You shapeshifting into me makes me uncomfortable.**

"Ugh, _fine,"_ with a huff, the lavender snark reverted to her original form, "geez Sparkles, I just thought you needed some cheerin' up. Lighten up why don't" _—_ _ **BZZZKKTTT**_ _—"YEOW!"_

Clutching her right hiney more from shock (pun intended) than pain, she shot a wide-eyed stare of disbelief at Amber, smirking as her right claw lost its glow from waning static discharge. The aureate Gem erased her previous message and wrote in a new one.

 **I never said get pouty on me.**

Amethyst blew a bang out of her view, pretending to be annoyed at the comeback even though her own smirk ruined the effect. "Where is _that_ every time ya come over?" She rolled her eyes at the molehog's puzzled face. "Yer always tryin' to pull a Lapis when nobody's talking to ya."

Okay maybe an exaggeration. That behavior started to lessen in frequency due to the efforts of Amethyst and Steven (and Connie when she could) to help her integrate back into the team. Still, Amethyst could count a good number of times the corrupted rock politely excused her way out of further socialization after a few measly minutes of hanging around the others.

To her credit, Amber made an excellent impression of a hooded lizard. **I'm shy, okay?**

"Ooooh of _course_ ," drawled the other lithomorph as she bowed at the waist like a posh servant, "my sin _cerest_ apologies, Madame. Shall we share my condolences over a cup of tea?"

Okay, the British accent killed the joke in Amber's opinion. Or Garnet accent? Garnet _did_ come before Britain. Linguistic perspectives aside, now seemed like a good time to get an honest opinion now that the two Gems could talk one-on-one.

Amber kneeled down and, in a flurry of digits, the next of her words appeared. Amethyst craned her neck again to look.

 **What's your take on me?**

The point-blankness of the question took the violet Gem by surprise. Her eyes ascended back to the serious-eyed molehog. "For reals?"

 **I'm curious.**

Amethyst broke eye contact and scratched her right cheek in an absentminded manner, thinking for a moment. "Didn't think much of ya at first, I mean besides ya bein' corrupted and all and not bein' all crazy and wreckin' everything in sight. Between the Lil' Butler vibes and the shit-ton of books ya got on you, I figured you'd pretty much be like Pearl's long lost twin or something."

Amber stood there, blinking and blank-faced. Suddenly she pointed up.

Amethyst shook her head with a sly grin, not taking the bait. "Ah naw, I ain't fallin' for that old trick, Sparkles."

Then Amber pointed down.

"Or that."

For some reason, Amber pointed to the violet Quartz's feet this time.

Amethyst barely glanced down. "Yeah, my boots are on fleek as usual, what's your"—Wait, since when do her boots sparkle? Her eyes took a double take. "Wha...AHHHH!"

At Amber's sudden hand swipe upward, Amethyst literally found herself knocked off her feet, back-flipping in midair like someone in the cartoons getting a rug pulled out from under them. Seconds later she returned to Earth, face first right in the sand.

"PAH-TOOIE! Pleh-pleh," she wiped away the grains from her impressed grin as she lounged against the last step, "well played, Sunshine. Well played. Speakin' of playing, how's things with yours and Gregory's little experiment?"

 **I feel we may be making progress.**

Amethyst quirked an eyebrow and snorted, amused. "You mean you and Greg jammin' together? I like your idea of progress."

Amber could only roll her eyes. **Despite how our efforts look, there is a method to what we've been doing.**

"Like doin' the bossa nova to Davey Yonder?"

Too bad the fur of Amber's corrupted form excluded her cheeks. Some cover for the golden blushing would have helped right now. **We both really like that guy, okay? Besides, we're dealing with music.**

How they could _not_ end up getting distracted?

Amethyst shrugged her shoulders, seeing the other Gem's point. "Figured anything out?"

 **Besides reaffirmation that music could help fix corruption? No. Since we're on the subject, have you all worked out how to safely work in the other corrupted Gems as test subjects?**

"Eh," Amethyst rubbed the back of her head, "Garnet says we gotta start small. That way we don't hafta worry about so much damage control. And Pearl says we better stick to the 'less rowdy' Gems while we're at it," she finger-quoted, blank face and all.

 **So basically make sure to avoid the Rebels.**

Amethyst snickered at how that quip hit the nail on the head. "Yeah, pretty much!"

"GUUUYYYYYYYSSS!"

Welp that sounded like Steven. A rather urgent Steven, in fact. Amethyst called back in an assuring tone, not wanting the kid to pull a Pearl before she got there. "We're coming. We're coming."

At that moment, a ringing sound reverberated from Amber's backpack. After pulling out and activating her cellphone, she noticed a new message notification—only to rub her eyes once she read the sender's message.

 _Peridot5XG: Assistance! Assistance! When I tried to notify Steven of a new project of mine, the tablet warped my message into some nonsense about Earth produce and morphing mops! I believe there may be a saboteur interfering with the local communication network!_

A poorly stifled chortle erupted from Amethyst, the chubby whip master clutching her sides. Sounds like someone found the Auto Correct. Amber facepalmed, trying hard not to sigh at the technical naiveté. Ugh, what was she gonna do with this kid?

Before walking off to deal with the impending silliness, she rotated this time _then_ scratched into the sand so Amethyst could see better.

 **You go on ahead. I'll catch up.**

Not like there'd be any surprises waiting for her.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _'On second thought, never mind.'_

Amber was currently having a benevolent yet curious stare-off with the bipedal insectoid currently seated on Steven's sofa. A Nephrite judging by the massive eye gemstone, though Amber could not quite remember for sure. It's been a while.

In any case, she had to resist the urge to swarm 'Centipeetle' (as Steven just introduced her) with questions.

"...and since you're also corrupted but have been getting along so well, I figured you could help me help Centi!"

Without looking Amber held up a finger as her way of saying 'One moment, Steven'. She needed a moment to assess the patient.

Not the physical aspects; those were obvious. Amber cared more for how Centipeetle's posture betrayed anxiety and confusion despite the poise, how those hands kept tightening in on themselves, and how that single eye bunched up at the yellow Gem as if she were something out of a nature documentary gone out there.

Which to be fair, she _did_ look the part but that's beside the point.

She stuck a forepaw out. Centipeetle stared at it, not sure what this strange Gem-like being expected of her.

Sensing the lack of comprehension, Amber grabbed her own hand and shook it. Centipeetle blinked in realization, fascinated, and then tentatively took the molehog's hand, letting the other Gem lead the gesture. When Amber smiled, Centipeetle returned the mien, happy she got this ritual correct.

Speaking of correct, a bloom of pride blossomed in the electroball once she realized Garnet and Pearl and Amethyst's absence, the three Crystals waiting out on the front porch. That sort of considerate behavior just went to show their easy agreement to letting Steven heal this 'Centipeetle' character. Amber would rather not think of the alternatives for if they _hadn't_ had an excuse to give Steven's corruption therapy a shot.

A soft yet audible finger-snap from Steven reminded them of his presence. "Oh, right! I guess 'Centi' isn't really your name," he fixed curious stare on the green being, "so what _is_ your name?"

 ** _CLCK-CLCK! RAWWW!_**

Amber bit back a sigh. ' _Yeah, we definitely have our work cut out for us.'_

The following events did not prove her wrong.

Despite Steven's ingenuity to use crayons and paper to convey Centipeetle's words, the session went downhill horrendously fast. In the end after a heartbreaking breakdown and dismaying chase through the South American jungle, it was agreed upon that Centipeetle would remain with her teammates, recently discovered inside one of the abandoned Gem ships.

"Amber! We have to go!"

Thought and rumination cut through by Pearl's voice, Amber looked back at her old friends with reluctant regard. She did not wish to leave. At least not yet.

Even after the therapy went awry, the molehog felt they all owed Centipeetle something for unintentionally putting her through that anguish and frustration. A long serpentine form snaked beside the smaller corrupted Gem, drawing her attention to the now massive Centipeetle. The golden rock stared guilty into the oral eye that stared back.

 **I'm sorry you went through that. I should have anticipated** —the feel of a bisected leg drawing her into her newfound friend's ivory mane cut off her writing. She returned the embrace.

Out of the corner her eye not smothered by Centipeetle's mane, she noticed one of the insectoid's legs scratch something into the dirt. It was scraggly but readable.

 _One day._

Those two words occupied her focus the entire way back to Beach City, none of the other CGs' attempts to talk to her enough to break her reverie. Just those words repeating, adding more to themselves each time.

 _One day you'll be yourself again._

 _One day you won't have to live with this brokenness._

 _One day you won't be reminded of your loss every time you see your reflection._

 _One day you won't need to live every waking moment seeing your biggest mistake given form._

 _One day...one day..._

The feel of a stone-studded hand gently on her left shoulder cut off her thoughts, drawing her attention to a familiar pair of shades.

"You were hoping for a better outcome."

Out here seated at the beach house's front-side patio table, umbrella angled so she could feel the Sun's warmth, Amber regarded the maroon fusion with a half-hearted smile.

 **If it's any consolation, the same thing happened to me when I remembered how my corruption started. Took Rose and the tribe weeks to find me again.**

Garnet's frown deepened even more, unsettled by the thought of her friend lost and alone, confused and scared. She took up the seat opposite the yellow Gem, crossing her arms and legs and leaning back in the chair with ace nonchalance.

They sat together in silence until a few minutes later when a familiar dainty hand deposited a pink mug of marshmallow-laden coffee in front of Amber...and a cane beside her?

Pearl hardly batted an eye at the molehog's questioning stare. "Amethyst suggested it during your and Steven's session with Centipeetle. She noticed how often your form would go unstable, so she handed over one of the canes from her room. Not to worry, it's in perfect condition!"

Her guest's suspiciously raised eyebrow and skeptical half-lidded look got Pearl eye-rolling quick.

"And of course, she wants an excuse to make cracks about you hobbling all over the place like someone's grandmother."

After eyeing the cane for a long moment, Amber flicked to a new page with such attitude she might as well have smacked her gums.

 **I'll bean her noggin in with it later.**

Garnet made no effort to hide her chortles. Pearl shook her head with a likewise smirk, finger pointed up. "Not _too_ hard, mind you. She might change her mind about bringing you along with her and Steven to wrestling tonight if you give her a reason to regenerate."

If Pearl had been of less poise, she would have giggled at Amber's curious wide-eyed stare. Instead she crossed over to Garnet's side and seated herself in the chair beside her teammate. "She and Steven are ardent fans of wrestling, participants even. When I told her about how your training sessions had been going, she got rather excited to say the least."

"Don't be surprised if she suggests you join in," Garnet added, "She tried with Pearl."

Pearl snorted at the thought and waved a hand in flattered dismissal. "Not that I wasn't flattered at the offer, but I prefer more along the lines of tachimawari, although I'd think twice about using an actual sword as part of a performance."

Amber struggled to smile at Pearl's quip. After a few futile seconds, she stared down her cup, remembering how she hadn't been far from the house when her leg acted up. Meaning Amethyst saw her fall flat on her face after all.

Lovely.

 _'_ _No wonder she tried to cheer me up.'_

The molehog barely got to grimace before Pearl spoke up again. "Speaking of performances, we've been meaning to talk to you about the way you've been handling your corruption lately. Amethyst meant it when she said that cane would help you."

"Your form's been losing stability lately," Garnet finally leveled her gaze at Amber, "ever since you helped Ronaldo in fact."

The minute flinch of Amber's snout gave Pearl enough to puzzle the answer out on her own. "And you've realized this, too, haven't you?" She leaned forward ever so slightly. "What on Earth did you show him?"

 **He felt like no one cared about him, so I disproved him by showing what happened after I lost my sisters.**

Garnet jerked her head up, her three eyes tense.

Pearl gasped, hand to her mouth. "You...you mean...?"

Amber shook her head. **After that. How I could barely function, let alone focus on missions without the environment triggering me.**

Pearl blushed in bright cyan and twiddled her thumbs, remembering the sloppy way she approached the younger Gem during that time. "Still," she tapped her chin in thought, "that's not a severe memory. Peridot's take on it, as far she told us, was thoughtful and I can only surmise Ronaldo was the same, right?"

At Amber's nod, Pearl hummed to herself. "I still think something that day links to your problems now. If it's not the memory causing you trouble—"

"Then chances are the problem isn't external but internal. Something the memory reminded you of. That means that the solution," the way Garnet's glasses shimmered did not sit well with Amber, "lies in you."

Pearl sighed, hardly sounding surprised at all yet no less troubled. Amber swore the leaner Gem uttered something along the lines of 'I was afraid that'd be the case...'

"Amber," Garnet leaned forward as her arms supported her upper body against the table. She tightened her hands as though bracing herself. "We know you're trying to hold back your original form."

At this point in time, the little cheeseball realized her current situation and remained calm. Yes, being found out alarmed her but if there was one lesson being in the War taught her, it was this: never panic. Letting the situation get to you never worked out unless you intended to die faster.

Keeping that advice in mind, Amber silently assessed her options, sipping at her coffee to buy more time to think.

One, she could feign ignorance (a futile effort); two, she could fend Garnet and Pearl off with biting remarks (she had neither the will nor personality to do _that_ ); and three, just coming clean (simple and honorable).

Except that last option had one drawback.

Amber shuffled her feet out of anxiety, claw tapping against the cup once she'd drained the sweet fluid. Pearl's tired sigh sliced through the silence.

"Amber, I don't understand. You remember what Steven told you! You don't have to worry about losing everyone once you're healed. We'll all still be here."

The molehog managed a small brief smile. She felt nothing short of gratitude for that sort of loyalty. And yet...

 **If I get better, I go back to being a Gem. Being a Gem means I can't avoid tying my legacy back to Homeworld. I don't want to remember what I did before I joined.**

Pearl and Garnet shared a concerned gaze, finally understanding what their friend chose not to tell Steven.

"Amber," Pearl began in a measured tone, "you cut off your ties to Homeworld the moment you and your sisters defected to Rose's side, and whatever you've been doing all these years, surely some of it included helping humans along the way. Otherwise you wouldn't be with Marcus' family right now."

 **But is that enough?**

"It doesn't have to be." Garnet arose from her chair tall and away from the umbrella, striking a strong figure in the sunlight. "You have every right to feel ashamed of the injustices Gems have wrought on themselves and others."

She walked around the table until she stood beside Amber, the molehog craning her neck to keep eye-level, and then lowered herself to one knee with one arm draped over it. "But the actions of those Gems are not yours. They reflect on you, but they do not define you."

Amber's dark eyes crinkled, the doubt in them not conceding. The voice at the back of her mind that sounded too much like Rose did not help either.

 _If you want a road to freedom, you have to carve it first._

"At least that's how I believe Rose said it." It took the golden Gem an instant to realize Pearl had been speaking her exact same thoughts. "And no, you weren't being obvious about your thoughts. There're just parts of you I still know well."

Okay, Amber tried _real_ hard not to blush at that last bit. She honestly couldn't discern from Pearl's calmer-than-ice smile whether the taller stone knew damn well how else that statement could be taken.

"All joking aside, regardless of your reasons, we can't let you keep endangering yourself. And if we can't convince you to stop"—Amber's sharp warning glare did not faze her at all; if anything it spurred a stern glare in return—"yes, we _will_ resort to telling the Flores if necessary."

Amber could only look away with a snort, thankful she possessed the willpower to _not_ pout like a petulant child. _'Good to know you and Garnet still have no qualms about playing dirty, Pearl.'_

Though at least she could say they were doing so because they cared. That's more than anyone could say for the Diamonds.

When Pearl spoke again, Amber noted how her voice softened as though in guilt. "If you think we don't get your feelings about what our kind's done to other people, then you need to know this: we cut ourselves off from humans partly so we wouldn't have to worry about playing around with their lives."

When Amber and Garnet turned to look at her, Pearl directed her gaze to the dimming afternoon sky. "I often made a show of exalting Gem culture in the past, but part of that came from the guilt of knowing that our efforts here didn't stop others from suffering at Homeworld's hand elsewhere. No one deserves that burden."

A bitter huff escaped her, conflicting with her halfhearted smile.

"I suppose the reason we can't stand what you've been doing is because we're worried you blame us, too. Sometimes I wonder if we deserve it. You and so many other Gems went through so much because of us, lost so much because of the Rebellion. I know an apology isn't enough to make up for what happened, but..."

Pearl could not bring herself to finish. Even millennia later, the losses felt fresh.

A long stretch of quiet passed between the three of them, the air left ponderous...until a _tap-tap-tap_ sounded against the tabletop. When Pearl returned her attention to the others, she noticed two new details: the note beside the umbrella and Garnet's small yet tender smile.

Dragging the note closer with one finger, she examined the contents. Her eyes started to water about halfway through.

 **If there's one thing I'm glad Homeworld did, it was giving me a reason to join you. For all the trouble I went through to help protect this world, for all the scars the war left me, I could never forfeit the memories of my friends. Even in corruption.**

Oh. _Oh._ Pearl needed a moment to wipe away the rampant tears, her chuckles warbled by the wave of emotions threatening to flood out of her.

"Hmm-hm. You really are too sweet sometimes."

Despite herself, Amber managed a tired but genuine smile. Then she suddenly turned her head after sensing two presences dart from the bottom-right corner of the nearest window. She rolled her eyes and hopped off, collecting her backpack, before warping to the front door and wrenching it open to reveal a wide-eyed Steven and Amethyst on the couch.

The violet whip-slinger was lounging with a magazine in hand and trying far too conspicuously to hide her face with it. Meanwhile Steven was sitting ramrod straight with _the_ worst poker face Amber had ever seen; the nervous facial sweat didn't do the kid any favors either.

When he noticed the unimpressed pair of eyes on him, he attempted a smile that came out more like the face of someone about to but not wanting to explode. "Um..."

Garnet appeared in the doorway behind Amber next and shook her head with a knowing smirk at her younger teammates' antics. "Best you go with them now."

No need to tell Amber twice. The molehog gestured two fingers in a way full of 'come on, you goofballs', and the two sheepish Quartzes complied easily.

Once Amber assumed her guise as Sparky and the trio disappeared around the cliff bend, waving the others goodbye, Pearl joined Garnet at the door. The feeble smile she'd been holding during the departure loosened into a countenance of worry as she turned back to Garnet.

"Do you think that talk was enough?"

The Crystal Gem leader let her lips downturn. "No. But it's a step in the right direction."


	18. Kindred

**Note: Right after the events of "Alone at Sea"; two days after "Monster Reunion"**

* * *

No business today.

Uma discerned as much the moment her eyes caught the grey bulging cumulus overhead. In which case, best to close shop before the wind kicked in. Amber left a few minutes ago on an errand with Pearl; Kurtis had classes at this time; and Marcus was on the phone talking with a supplier, meaning Uma had the task of closing early alone.

No matter. She never minded having time to herself.

Pulling a stool to the display window to switch the sign to 'Closed', Uma paused in the middle of flipping once she noticed a familiar blue person cradled below the window, formerly out of the elderly lady's sight. How long the water Gem been out here was anyone's guess. Without hesitation, Uma returned to ground-level and approached the front door, concerned and a tad curious.

The tinkle of the bell grabbed the cradled alien's attention. Uma took one look at her and Lapis returned an empty one back. When the former retreated instantly, the latter sighed as though not surprised at all and returned to huddling her face in her knees—until a navy blue Sampaguita quilt depicting a night sky full of golden stars and moons draped around her shoulders.

As the watery rock looked back again, Uma finished adjusting the adornment and stood a close yet respectful distance away with hands clasped in front, patient. Shaking her head, Lapis willed herself to speak, voice feeble yet audible enough to hear.

"Is Amber home?"

With an apologetic frown, Uma shook her head. "She said not to expect her back until late evening."

Oh wonderful, wonderful timing. Lapis could only sigh. As usual her luck kept getting worse. She huddled the blanket more around her and murmured, "What am I even doing here?"

Every time she visited this place, she only stayed long enough to talk to Amber and forewent any attempt to interact with the molehog's family beyond awkward one-sentence answers. Not that she had anything against humans specifically, but she never had to deal with a species Homeworld taught her to treat as inferior. That and she had always been a bit of an introvert. Months spent as a hate-induced fusion never does one's social skills much good either.

Uma, blinking, stroked her chin in a way that somehow came off as genuine instead of teasing. "Good question. Whatever the reason, in there has to be more comfortable than out here."

Lapis wanted to argue yet could not will herself. In fact she couldn't bring herself to pull away either when Uma took her hand, helping the Gem stand up, then gently guided her into the store. Like a despondent fish in an ocean current, the hydromancer tagged along for the ride.

All while her mind continued to drown.

 _I thought I was a brute, but you. You're a monster!_

 _LET'S BE MALACHITE AGAIN!_

 _I was wrong about fusion. You made me understand!_

 _It'll be better this time! I've changed! You've changed me!_

 _Changed me. Changed me, changed me. Changed-me-changed-me-change-change-change-change—_

Tinkling alerted her to the sound of a cup trembling from the sepia liquid inside it, clank-clank against the surface of a table somehow in front of her. When had she—oh, she found herself sitting on the red sofa now, Uma calmly drinking tea beside her. Out of embarrassment, Lapis undid her fetal position and stared at Amber's necklace, there over the fireplace like usual, to avoid eye-contact with the old woman.

Eventually, she tired of this endeavor and grabbed her cup, feeling the lukewarm liquid, but made no move to sip. Only stared down into the forlorn reflection whose face revealed nothing more than the desire to teleport someplace far away, far away enough so she'd never need fear hurting anyone ever again.

Minutes passed in heavy silence.

At last Lapis spoke faintly and calmly, figuring she had nothing to lose. "I went on a boat with Steven and his dad. It was a little fun."

Uma set her own drink down with a smile-studded nod. "A little's better than nothing."

"I tried to enjoy myself. I really did, but it's hard when you've messed up the way I have."

Uma nodded again, silent this time. Lapis wished she _did_ say something to at least fill the quiet. Anything to distract from—the tea in her cup suddenly started to slosh again despite her hands remaining still. A hand on her back made her stiffen at first but then she and her tea relaxed once she remembered her surroundings.

She wasn't back _there._ The one touching her wasn't _her._

Eyes closed, the blue rock inhaled. "Someone came back for me. They wanted to f...get back together with me. I...," her breath clinched, "I almost said yes even when I remembered how horrible it felt to be with them. Being together meant I had someone to take all my anger out on...and I _missed_ all of that."

Good people shouldn't feel that way, right? Good people knew better than to keep thinking that way, right? Wasn't that all the more proof of how rotten to the core Lapis truly was?

 _But you said no to her, remember? You even told her how unhealthy being Malachite was. Would a bad person have said any of that?_

Lapis bit her lip, unnerved by how much her inner voice sounded like Steven. Her eyes reopened, angled at the TV yet staring off at a distance miles beyond it. Staring off perhaps for her other self. "Is it wrong that I still feel sorry for them? Do I even deserve to feel that way? All I did was hurt them."

That same hand started rubbing circles just shy of the gemstone.

"It's good that we feel concern for them," Uma finally replied, voice thick with an emotion Lapis swore she recognized yet could not pin down. "It means we haven't lost our ability to feel for others. I still care about my family and you sound like you still care about Steven."

Lapis shot the old woman an incredulous stare. "Of course I care about him! Jasper was about to kill him!" She slapped a hand over her mouth. Uma remained unfazed, still calm and supportive as though the outburst never happened. The blue Gem turned away with a mortified blush. "Why am I even telling you this?"

Humans couldn't even fuse. But Lapis didn't want to heap this mess on top of Steven; he'd been through enough today because of it, because of _her_. And Peridot, annoying as she could be, didn't deserve that either after all the pains she took to make Lapis feel welcome at the barn. Besides, as much as she loved the former and was begrudgingly starting to like the latter, she doubted they'd give her grievances their full attention.

Because that's what Lapis needed right now, someone to listen to her. Not prove her wrong or comfort her, just listen—and Amber always excelled at that.

A careworn sigh echoed beside the Gem as she felt the hand once again leave her. Lapis had half a mind to just apologize and leave, feeling like she wasted enough of this human's time with her sob story, until Uma's voice stopped her, once again laden with that familiar yet unnamable feeling.

"It's hard to let go."

 ** _Clink._**

When Lapis shifted her gaze at the sound, Uma had set the teacup down on the table and now had her hands in her lap, face blank and eyes focused on the TV as well in that same distant gaze.

"Albert was never the gentlest man," she cradled her right wrist in a subconscious manner, a detail Lapis couldn't help but notice, "Not the most open-minded either. He could never stand anyone who isn't a member of our tribe. He's even worse if you're mixed. He never let Kurtis forget that."

'Mixed'? Lapis furrowed her brows at the term. "Are you saying Kurtis is like a cross-gem fusion?"

The Flores matriarch hummed, thoughtful. "I suppose you could say he is. More of a fusion between two different worlds, a fact Albert never let him forget." Her speaking started to slow. "Kurtis and I...saw him again a few days ago. I'd hoped that," her voice gave off the slightest tremor, "that he'd changed his mind and turned his attitude around, try to make up for his mistakes."

Lapis could already tell the direction of this story. Gently and slowly she asked, "Did he try to convince you to take him back?"

Uma sighed. "I wanted to say yes. So, so very badly. Even after what I put him through, what he put me through...what we put everyone through...a part of me still softens at the thought of him."

"But then you remembered what you did to each other."

"And I rejected him, so he tried to take his anger out on Kurtis instead."

Though not all that close to Kurtis, Lapis tensed at the thought of Amber's boy getting attacked. She could only imagine how the yellow Gem would have reacted had she'd been there. "Did you punch him into the sky?"

Despite herself, Uma managed a weak chuckle. "No. _Kurtis_ punched _him_. I was such a wreck that night from realizing the truth...that no matter what, Albert and I could never move past our misdeeds. In a way it was a relief as well. My dear _nuxwis_ reminded me why we're better off apart. And he always will."

"All you have to do is think about him," Lapis finished with a faint yet genuine smile even as she looked away again.

A comfortable silence hung between the two ladies, easier to breathe, the burden still there yet no longer as prominent.

Lapis twiddled her thumbs in a moment of shyness. "Is it okay if I stay a little longer?" She didn't feel ready to return to the barn yet.

Uma waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, it's no trouble, dear. Though you may want to call your friends so they know where you are and don't worry themselves silly."

Lapis nodded in agreement and stood up to do so. She forgot her phone back at the barn, but managed to memorize Steven's cell phone number. Her feet barely got three steps in before Marcus stuck his head from around the corner, dark eyes wide at the sight of the cerulean alien.

"Ah geez, Uma, why didn't you tell me we had a guest over?! I would have finished the order earlier if I knew!"

One could almost hear Uma's eyes roll. "Visitors over business? I'm amazed the shop's stayed afloat with you in charge for this long."

"Oh c'mon," Marcus retorted as he wheeled his way into the living room, "I am just trying to be a good host."

"And an apparently ineffective shopkeeper." She put a hand to her chest in faux woe. "Letting an old woman close shop on her own, too!"

"Oh woman, don't you start with me on that!"

At all of this silliness, Lapis stifled a chuckle but maintained her smile.

Her day didn't have to end on a sour note after all.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Pearl and Amber suspected Jasper would have preferred the same.

Together the two Gems and Lion stood in a forested clearing with mountains in the near distance, and gazed into a massive Quartz-sized indentation in the ground two feet before them.

"Are you sure this is the spot they mentioned?"

Amber turned to the carnation cat, whose eyes betrayed none of his seriousness. She nodded back at Pearl.

Pearl sighed. "We can investigate the area more, see where she went, but it would help if the Ambers here cooperated with us," her Alice-blue eyes caught the distant lights in the distance just before they flickered away into the arboreal darkness. She set her hands akimbo in exasperation. "You said they never acted this distant when you went through this region before, right? I wonder why."

Then again, Amber never went through this region with any of the Crystal Gems either—or as far as Pearl and the others knew at least. Did the denizens here not trust her enough now that she involved herself with her old comrades? That reason in itself made no sense since a good number of them had been—

Pearl shook her head. No, speculation would not produce any results, especially with more concrete matters like Jasper at hand. Still, she and Amber would do well to share this finding with the others.

"Anyway, we at least have the materials you and Peridot requested at least. We'll tell the others back at the temple about Jasper."

The two Gems hopped aboard Lion and braced themselves as the great beast roared a portal to life.

Just before they jumped in, though, Amber looked back at the forest with narrowed eyes and mouthed the name of the Gem likely responsible for the strange behavior of the others.

 _Rose._


	19. Left Unsaid

**Takes place during the events of "Greg the Babysitter"; three days after "Alone at Sea"**

* * *

"No, I _don't_ get it!"

 _That_ was the first sound to greet Amethyst the moment she stepped off of the Warp Pad on route to the barn. Sounded like Peri was up to wit's end as usual. The lavender Gem smirked fondly as she made her way to the avant-garde building. There, she noticed Peridot and Amber standing in the entranceway, the former's arms a-flailing like the green Gem was trying to illustrate her entire frustration to the world at large.

All the while, Amber received this tirade with an innocent façade, her simple blinks completing the look. Amethyst snorted at the doggie bone sticking out of the molehog's mouth like a cigar. Lapis watched overhead from the truck overhanging from the entrance, kicking her feet idly.

"Why do we need to build this stuff for the _humans_ ," Peridot demanded to know, "Isn't the point of the Crystal Gems to be protecting them in the first place?"

Picking up her notebook and pencil from the ground, Amber wrote something down then stuck it at Peridot. The technician balked then threw her hands up. "I'm not saying they _shouldn't_ know how to defend themselves! I'm just _saying_ , what's the point of _us_ protecting this world if our efforts are unnecessary—or better yet _will become_ unnecessary?"

 _Scribble-scribble._ Present.

Peridot pinched her nose with a sigh. "Yes, I know his unique position as a gem-human hybrid warrants a level of cooperation between the two species." Resigned, she eyed Amber skeptically. "Still, don't you think expecting me to construct weapons capable of countering Homeworld tech is a bit much?"

 _Scribble-scribble_ again _._ Present again.

Cue the perfect Peridot facepalm, neon lime blush included.

Amethyst chose then to make her presence known, sparing Peri further vexation.

Peridot lit up upon noticing her. "Ah Amethyst! Thank the _stars_ you're here!"

Holding back a snicker, the violet Quartz crossed her arms over her generous chest. "Pearl sent me over to see how ya'll are doin'. Sparkles givin' ya a hard time?"

"T-That's not important," Peri brushed off the question with a flustered flourish, "and for Pearl's information, the project has potential but the execution is proving a bit," she sidled her eyes as though considering her words carefully, "difficult.

At Amethyst's curious stare and Amber's encouraging one, Peridot cleared her throat before continuing. "I made a list of the Earth materials capable of incorporation with Homeworld technology per Amber's request the other day." She tossed an exasperated glare at the molehog. "And now she expects me to puzzle out how to make it all fit together."

 **And helping you out like Lapis is.**

Holding back another snort at Amber's playful retort and Peridot's eye-roll, Amethyst shrugged her shoulders. "So whatcha guys come up with?"

"Well," the technician began, hands behind her back, "the integration won't took _too_ long since we're simply modifying already existing technologies. The real challenge here is getting the Homeworld tech to be workable for non-Gems, let alone understandable."

Amethyst's smile started to wane, part of her hoping yes. "Can ya?"

Peridot broke eye contact and scratched her cheek, abashed. "That...would depend on the individual's technical competency, not to mention their skills in combat. Connie, for example, could no doubt make efficient use of such equipment, but we can't expect the same from every other human."

"Yeah that's true," Amethyst admitted with a frown, eyes to the side. Not many folks around here shared Connie's gumption.

"And even taking fortitude into account," Peridot pointed a finger skyward, "humans tend to come up short in strength compared to Gems, so victory for them would require a combination of wits and exploiting weaknesses. And don't get me started about the impossible countermeasures they would need against a Quartz from" –she noticed Amber's worried gaze and started to stammer—"b-but that's not to say this planet and its populace have _no_ chance of surviving! I'm positive we'll stumble across a solution at some point. Take how I and Steven flawlessly neutralized the Cluster for instance!""

"Yeah, Dot's right!" Amethyst agreed as she teasingly elbowed Amber, "We've always found a way outta tight spots!"

Assuring as that thought was, Amber recalled when the Gems caught her up about the Cluster back on the day they confronted her true identity. Regardless, she offered the younger stone a small polite smile, thankful for the assurance and not wanting to bring the mood down.

"You mean like when Alexandrite barely managed to beat Malachite?"

Everyone gazed up at Lapis in shock. Hopping off her perch and landing easily thanks to her water wings, the azure rock crossed her arms and returned Amethyst's glare with a frosty unimpressed mien.

"Uh, _you_ were part of that fusion, too. We still wiped the floor with her."

"Oh, like when you guys came to take back the ocean from me? If Steven hadn't summoned his shield and thrown me off enough to talk sense into me, the Crystal Gems would have lost for sure."

"Hey, that mess was a long time ago, a'ight? We've gotten better since then!"

Lapis stamped a foot. "It's still true, though, isn't it? How most of your guys' victories were because you lucked out?" Or at least the ones she was around to witness, not that Lapis would disclose _that_ detail. "I was the one who kept Jasper from hurting Steven any further."

"Tch-yeah," Amethyst scoffed with crossed arms herself, "right after Garnet finished wiping the floor with her."

Lapis balked for a moment, taken back by this fact, but recovered quickly. "Well of course _she'd_ be able to take on Jasper! She's a fusion! A single Gem wouldn't be enough to defeat Jasper otherwise!"

By this point, Amethyst had stomped straight up to Lapis, sneering right into the hydromancer's face. Lapis gladly returned the leer in full. Sensing the rising hostility, Amber and Peridot immediately got in between their two feuding friends, hoping against hope this argument wouldn't turn physical.

"Oh," Amethyst's inquiry held more salt then the ocean, "And why's _that_?"

"Because. She is the _ultimate_ Quartz." Lapis put a hand to her own chest. "I know this because _I_ was one of the Lazulis responsible for carving her Kindergarten out a cycle before I got captured!"

Quiet. Amethyst went drop dead quiet, eyes wide. Did...did she just hear Lapis right?

Peridot hastily swerved around to face Amethyst, a huge yet nervous grin plastered on. "Well, obviously Jasper's far from ultimate! I mean, the Kindergarten she came from _was_ Beta after all."

Amber stiffened at the name and stared at Peridot questionably. No, Peridot couldn't be talking about _that_ Jasper, could she?

A similar expression took over Amethyst's face. "Wait... ain't Beta the other Kindergarten you mentioned back on the Moon?"

"Yes," Peridot exclaimed, seeing an opportunity to defuse the argument and simultaneously show off her Kindergartener knowledge, "yes, it was! A total rush-job compared to yours, of course. And don't get me started on the fact they used _Redstone_ for it," she took a moment to chuckle in amusement, "Of all things!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Amethyst interjected, holding her hands up, "you're telling me Jasper's from _Earth_?!"

Peridot blinked, unsure how to take the whip-slinger's disbelief. "Um, yes?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHIN'?!"

"It's not like I expected that fact to be of conceivable importance!"

"Uh, the fact that the same Gem that stuffed me and the others in space jail then tried fusion to off us came from the same planet as me? Pretty sure that counts as conceivable importance, girl!"

"Oh by the stars of—I don't see you getting on _Lapis'_ case for not saying anything about this!"

Amethyst, Peridot—she promptly shut her mouth afterwards, feeling as though she just outed her own barn mate—and Amber all moved their gazes to the Gem in question who returned their looks with a cold glare.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize staying on Earth required me to share every tidbit of my life from before the mirror. Besides, Peridot's right. What difference does it make if Jasper came from the same planet as you? She still treated you, Steven, and the other Crystal Gems as enemies."

At this point, Amethyst's face softened; her eyes vulnerable. "But is she...really supposed to be the perfect Quartz?"

Lapis widened her eyes in surprise, not expecting Amethyst to ask that question. "Y-Yeah. I even heard one of the Peridots say something about how her exit-hole might end up having smooth glass all the way to the back or something."

Peridot gawked. "You can't be serious."

"And from what I heard after I got back to Homeworld, the fact that Beta popped out nearly all defective Gems only made her stand out even more." A sorrowful light crossed her eyes, but Lapis quickly shook her head. "Look, just...forget about wanting to beat Jasper. She's a threat to other Gems, so that should be reason enough for you to contain her."

Then Lapis walked off, her part in this conversation over.

Amethyst looked back at Amber, who'd been left thoughtful by Lapis' words. "You were in the Gem War. Was Jasper really that good of a Quartz?"

Amber, so lost in thought, jolted at being addressed but regarded Amethyst with a curious stare.

Amethyst rubbed her nape. "I mean...it's not like I care about what _Homeworld_ would think of me." The thought made her glad beyond measure that she was a Crystal Gem, if nothing else. "Besides, I got better things to do than pull something outta Serpent Orb and go around tryin' ta be the toughest or junk like that. I got a life."

Hearing those words eased the doubt in Amber's eyes, but she remained unsure. Amethyst sounded certain now, but would that line of thought remain if Amber added on to what Lapis confirmed?

Amethyst must have noticed the lingering doubt because she held her hands up in a placating gesture again. "Look. It's cool if ya don't wanna spill. I've dealt with G-Squad and Pearls long enough to know the war couldn't have been easy on ya. It's just...Lapis said Beta birthed out defective Gems," she put a hand to her chest, "Gems like me. Now that I know about them, I wanna know more and you're the only Gem I know who could help with that."

Amber twiddled her thumbs, deciding.

"Please? I gotta know how life was for 'em."

The yellow Gem finally looked back at the violet Quartz and her pleading face then sighed. Eyes shifting to the tablet tied to Peridot's left wrist, she gestured two fingers to the verdant stone in a 'come here' fashion.

Peridot eyed Amber with curiosity, already knowing what the corrupted Gem intended of her yet not sure what Amber intended to show of Jasper. Complying, the technician came closer and stuck out her tablet-arm with her other behind her back in a militant fashion, her face serious and patient.

After nodding in thanks, Amber tapped the screen a few times until she reached the video app. One claw sparkling, she tapped it against the back of the tablet. Immediately, static filled the screen until it gave way to a slightly fuzzy picture of what appeared to be a sandy space within the walls of a sizable desert canyon, curvaceous walls of red and orange and white adorned with what Amethyst recognized as exit-holes, albeit misshapen ones.

And the Quartzes. So many Quartzes.

Some that could only be Jaspers themselves. Others Amethyst had never seen before. None of them exactly matched what Amethyst expected either. Sure many of them sported considerable muscle—nowhere close to Jasper's bulk though—but others came in various sizes. Some skinny, some short. She swore at one point she even spotted a red one about her size.

And they were all fighting for their lives.

"So _that's_ Beta," Amethyst spoke in a hushed tone.

Peridot nodded. "Affirmative."

Amber tapped the tablet again, and the text app came up. **I was part of the initial raids on Beta. Rose knew we had Homeworld on the ropes at this point, so she wanted to make sure we took out the soldiers there the moment they emerged.**

Amethyst and Peridot turned their eyes to Amber in shock. The former knew Rose and the others fought many grueling battles over Earth and the latter had had similar inklings due to both snippets from Jasper and talks with the Crystal Gems, but seeing all _this_ still caught them both off guard.

Like when she and Peridot winced at the sight of a tiny red Gem getting ripped out of her hole and shattered before she could even touch the ground. Or a Peridot's gemstone being dashed against a sword (Amethyst squeezed Peri's trembling shoulder during that one). Or a Crystal Gem spearing one of the Quartzes to the wall with an unsettlingly excited grin.

Suddenly Amethyst realized: all this was stuff _Amber_ saw, stuff she experienced firsthand. This realization became clear once the screen seemed to shoot away from the deaths, a gasp accompanying the action. Once or twice, a hand clad in black shot electrified projectiles from the screen's perspective, warding off Quartzes and other Homeworld Gems coming her way.

Until everything started to shake.

A marvel that only a few seemed to register the great explosion of gravel and dirt from a clear patch of earthen wall, a testament to the frenzied violence happening all around; only once the dust waned enough could Amethyst and Peridot recognize the wild white mane and sharp angular gemstone.

The two younger Gems expected a toothy grin and golden eyes alit with anticipation for combat, for a tangerine juggernaut to come flying out to wreak havoc like a meteor. Instead they only saw Jasper peeking out at the fighting outside her space like a curious child, face obscured by the glaring sunlight—until someone wrenched the orange soldier out of her hole and into the ground.

Amber cut the video right there. They'd seen enough.

Amethyst blinked in wonder, stunned by everything she'd witnessed. "All those Quartzes we watched—did any of them besides Jasper make it?"

Amber shrugged. **That, I don't know. If they did, Homeworld probably did away with the surviving ones after the war. The Diamonds never did bat an eye at removing those incapable of serving them.**

Amethyst crossed her arms with a sneer. "Figures. Sure makes me glad I don't work for 'em."

 **Good, because I wouldn't wish what I've been through under their regime on anyone.**

Peridot eyed Amber and wondered what the molehog must've been through to make her say that.

Amethyst, not so much.

"'Cept Jasper, am I right?" Amber furrowed her brows at the purple Gem's question. "Aw c'mon, Sparkles! You and Peridot have gotta be thinking it, too! If Jasper had ta put up with shit on Homeworld, then it would serve her right for putting others through the same."

 **I admit I don't know enough of Jasper personally to make an honest opinion. From how you all describe her, she does sound like she may be hard to get along with.**

"Uh, 'maybe'. How about 'definitely'? I bet she walked and talked big on Homeworld cuz they consider her a big deal."

Peridot twisted her face into an annoyed scowl. "Ugh, you have no idea. She kept regaling her military feats to me on the way to Earth, but she couldn't fool me," the Kindergartener crossed her arms in pride, "I knew her background. Not to mention her desperation to impress Yellow Diamond."

A tap on the shoulder drew Peridot's attention to an extremely baffled Amber and her notebook.

 **Are you saying she works under Yellow Diamond now?**

"Well yes, hasn't she always?"

Amber reeled in shock. Homeworld couldn't have gone _that_ far to obscure the war...right? Yet the more she took in Peridot's confusion, the heavier the truth sunk in. Amber looked back to the phone, remembering Jasper's emergence and wincing.

Amethyst gave her no time to ponder further. "Why are you so interested in Jasper all of a sudden?"

Good question, now that Amber thought it over. She shook her head regardless. **Look, bottom line is there're things about her you two need to know.**

"What else is there ta know about her," Amethyst argued, "Oh yeah, that's right. Jack squat!" Amber started to write again, but Amethyst got in her face. "What? I suppose you wanna say we should feel _sorry_ for that jerk?"

Amber backed away. **Easy now. All I'm saying is that we should be careful on what we base our judgments on. If you'll just let me explain the context, you can get a better idea of her real self.**

"We've _seen_ her real self! She's a big, selfish jerk that only cares about being the strongest! Someone like her doesn't know how to care about others!"

 **Please listen to me. We can't be completely sure that's her honest opinion.**

"Amber," the exasperation on Amethyst's face could not have been more apparent, "she called Earth _garbage!_ She doesn't care about the place she came from, and ya know what? I bet she's glad all her sisters from Beta got killed, too!"

No words followed for the next few moments. Just heavy, heavy silence: shock on one end; simmering outrage on the other. Amethyst softened her face at first, as though half a mind to apologize to Amber for the outburst, only to shake her head and skulk off to the Warp Pad.

However, she left a few parting words: "You're too nice. Ya know that?"

Peridot and Amber remained where they stood, dumbstruck and concerned as they watched Amethyst walk then teleport away. The former bit her bottom lip and looked off to the side for a moment before facing Amber with a forced chuckle, hands akimbo.

"So heh-heh; that could have gone worse." She took note of Amber's downward gaze and wilted. "Of course that also could have gone better." She rubbed her nape, emerald eyes growing wary. "You okay?"

 **I should've stopped Lapis from talking about Jasper when I had the chance.** Amber, cursing her own drive for confirmation, fell back on her backside in frustration.

Peridot sat down beside the yellow rock and cleared her throat, eyes trained on the dimming evening horizon.

"You're...an objectively strange Gem. A confusing one, too, even compared to the other Crystal Gems. To be honest, I still think your drive for 'atonement'," she finger-quoted, "through acquiring a cure for corruption merits logical reevaluation. To say nothing of how you view our chances against Homeworld. I'd even go so far to agree with Amethyst that you do share Steven's tendency to let your compassion rule out reason."

She put her hands together in a meditative manner. "All the same, I still consider you a perceptive individual. I've come to appreciate your diplomatic capabilities in spite of your various quirks, and to be fair, I am of the opinion that you made a fair decision in letting Amethyst learn the truth about Jasper."

Amber turned to her in confusion.

Peridot shrugged. "It's obvious Garnet and Pearl and perhaps Rose Quartz haven't been forthcoming to her about her actual origins as a Quartz. Perhaps if Homeworld had never gotten involved with Earth after the war, not notifying her would have never made a significant difference. As everything stands, though, the more she knows about how her kind operates under Homeworld, the better prepared she'll be."

She cupped her chin in thought, humming. "Although...that knowledge appears to be feeding into her feelings of inadequacy. In which case, it's no wonder the others never told her." Amber moved to write something, anything, in response, but Peridot raised a hand to stop her. "Don't apologize. Bottom line is: now that she knows about the disparity in skill between her and Jasper, she'll no doubt do something drastic to bridge that gap."

 **I hope she lives to learn from it.** She'd rather not have Amethyst's shards on her hands.

Peridot nodded, solemn-faced. "You and me both." Her eyes swiveled skyward. "Although this whole conversation has brought up another important detail," she turned to Amber with serious eyes, "I've also been in the dark about the Rebellion...," then tore her gaze away, "about my own Homeworld."

 **You want me to share with you Homeworld's history before the war?**

"As much as your memories can allow. I prefer not to prolong ignorance regarding where I came from."

 **Who would? And you're right. You should know more about Homeworld's past.**

Peridot smiled in response.

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement," she removed her tablet and handed it over to Amber, who regarded it then her with shock, "No doubt you won't be available consistently to provide information on a face-to-face basis, so I grant you permission to transfer as much as the storage capacity of this primitive though useful device will allow. I trust you'll return it to me in perfect condition."

Amber blinked, amazed, but regained her wits and nodded in thanks as she accepted the device. Once Peridot left after saying she would check on Lapis, the molehog reactivated her powers and restarted the video screen.

This time, the display revealed the purple walls of Amethyst's Kindergarten, huge chunks missing everywhere. The sight had been after one of the raids on Prime, one that completely devastated the Homeworld Quartzes. Shattered so many of them.

While all of the other Crystal Gems celebrated their success, a lone Jasper had been far to the side picking up the pieces of the Quartzes destroyed in the explosion. A Beta retrieved after a mission for the Homeworld soldiers went awry, she had switched sides after brief yet decisive persuasion from Rose. And now there'd she been, gingerly gathering the sisters she'd betrayed, alone in her silent grief.

To this day, Amber wonders if she herself was the only Gem that ever noticed or cared. Perhaps that's why she slipped away unnoticed, willfully resigning to the sad task of gathering remnants of the unfortunate, no matter where their allegiance had lied.

The Jasper had noticed; neither of them smiled.

But the Jasper nodded.

Amber nodded back.


	20. A Brief Talk

**Note: Takes place t** **hree days after "Greg the Babysitter"**

* * *

You don't work as a florist without learning to pay attention to the seasons. Like right now. The air was cooling, the daylight hours weren't as long anymore, and some of the kids were starting to get antsy about school starting. Definitely late summer.

In which case, best to get the flowers switched out.

But first, better check on the tea. Hmm, not boiling yet but getting there.

Anyway, some silver artemisa and blue sedum should do nicely. Did they still have some in the back? Marcus checked the greenhouse room to make sure. Yep, perfect!

 ** _Ding-a-ling-a-ling!_**

Oh, better answer that!

After smoothing back his thinning hair, Marcus swiveled around with an star-swooning smile and wheeled his way into the store with his typical flourish.

"Welcome to Flores and Gardening! How may I be of...," the man's question trailed into confused silence at the sight of Garnet, whose curvaceous figure struck a rather fitting complement to the blues and light greens in the display. The subtle unease that radiated off her made Marcus think twice about taking her picture.

The shop owner recovered with a smooth ahem and schooled a concerned yet no less charming smile. "Miss Garnet! A pleasure to have you here visiting us, although I would have expected you to have company like last time. I hope our little sparkplug hasn't been causing trouble."

Garnet remained silent for a time, as if debating whether to tell, then shook her head. "Not...intentionally."

Marcus finally surrendered his businessman's façade in place of a frown and furrowed brow. Garnet took a step forward.

"It's about Amethyst. We haven't seen or heard from her since she left to check on Amber and Peridot at the barn a few days ago."

"Ah." Marcus stroked his soul patch thoughtfully as he leaned back in his wheelchair, "and you were hopin' to get a hold of our little lemon drop, ask her if she's seen our residential sour grape." At Garnet's succinct nod, he shrugged his shoulders apologetically. _"Lo siento_ , but she left this mornin' to see that kid with the pointy do."

"Peridot."

Marcus snapped his fingers as if to say 'bingo'. "That's the one! Been hanging out a lot lately, those two," he stroked his chin some more, eyes distant, before shaking his head, "anyway, if you want a hold o' her, you best try the barn."

Garnet nodded. "Thank you, but I thought one of you might have some clue to where Amethyst could be instead."

Oh. Well hello, unexpected twist for today.

Rubbing the back of his head and then his nape, Marcus pursed his lips. "That figures," he threw his hands back with the face of a man who had his hands all tied, " _Mío_ is all out today 'cept for yours truly."

Humming, the red-and-purple fusion looked off to the side, contemplative about her next move. "I see," the faint worry behind her stoic tone did not go overlooked. She faced Marcus again. "Thanks you," then she turned to leave, "Sorry for taking your time."

Suddenly, Marcus started waving his hands in the air like a maniac, trying to get her attention. "Whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, _whoa!_ Not so fast there, _Señora Doble._ " He waited for Garnet to stop and look back at him. "Now correct my old man ears if they're wrong, but I couldn't help detect a bit of frustration when ya said 'intentionally'."

The visors didn't show, but Marcus bet fifty dollars that all three of the eyes underneath it widened at his observation. That slight parting of her mouth confirmed enough. With a wave of his hand and a comforting smile, the florist gestured to the door at the end of the hallway.

Once again, Garnet pursed her lips. For a moment, the fusion seemed as if she would decline, but then with a resigned sigh allowed Marcus to lead her outside.

Seated out on the back porch of the shop a few minutes later, the flower shop owner in his wheelchair and Garnet in a purple lawn chair, the pair watched the Sun's illusory movements, the white clouds soaking the blue of the sky like big cotton balls. Neither of them made a sound for a while aside from the occasional sip from their cups of peach mango tea.

At last, the Crystal Gem leader set her beverage down on the cheap plastic table between them before interlacing her fingers and setting her chin on them. She regarded the sky with a critical gaze.

"Amber told Amethyst."

Marcus leaned forward, face curious. "About her birthright or about Beta?" The middle-aged man felt the fusion's eyes on him, a silent yet curious stare that more commanded than requested he share everything he knew. The Peruvian tsked as he leaned back. " _Señorita_ , you gotta remember. You, _Perla_ , and _Rosa_ weren't the only veterans living amongst humans."

He shrugged his shoulders in a 'what can you do' way. "Consderin' her position, our little starlight needed some way to vent her feelings about the war." He subconsciously rubbed the top of his left calf while his eyes drifted off into space with a dark sadness, a look Garnet recognized and related to all too well. "Then again, who doesn't?"

The sound of fists tightening simmered into the rising heat as Garnet looked away. Although her face remained impassive as ever, Marcus didn't miss the Crystal Gem leader's sharp inhale.

"Amber's not used to talking to us. I get that. But..."

Marcus nodded and continued for her, voice gentle and empathetic. "But you don't get how she could just go behind your back and steal your obligation to tell Amy the truth." The Flores patriarch took another sip then returned his gaze to the sky. The sun had almost reached the noon position. He looked back at Garnet with a soft expression.

"If you wanna rant about how Sparky took away you guys' right to tell her, I ain't gonna judge."

What comes next happens so fluidly that Marcus needs a moment to register it. Once he does, he realizes 'it' turned out to be Garnet defusing into her component selves, Sapphire left calmly sitting in the fusion's place while Ruby hops to the ground and proceeds to pace back and forth with crossed arms, grumbling all the while.

Well at least she wasn't burning holes into the ground like at Keystone Motel, as Greg once told Marcus and Uma during Stevonnie's face-off with Kevin. Still, the crimson stone looked significantly ticked, evidenced by the steam literally flying off her ears.

"...can't believe her...just telling her without telling _us_...now she probably hates us, too...it's like Rose all over again..."

Ruby's voice started to crack at the end, as if she were about to cry. Not cry out of frustration, just cry. Marcus felt his insides ache at how helpless she sounded. Before he could think of any comforting words, Sapphire abandoned her chair, walked up to her partner, and grabbed her shoulders to stop the pacing. Ruby stared back, wide-eyed more out of nervousness than shock.

Sapphire took her lover's face in her gloved hands. "You know that's not true. As much she has a right to be upset at us for keeping the truth from her, what she truly hates is the way we've treated her, not us."

"Even after all the stuff we put into her head about her being the only 'good' Gem to come out of Alpha?" Ruby did not retort this statement. Just stated it in a resigned tone, as though admitting a painful truth. Which she was.

Sapphire rightfully flinched away and clenched her hands like Garnet had, head tilted down.

 _Bad choice of words_. Ruby blushed and shifted her gaze to the concrete. "Sorry."

"No." Sapphire was quick to regain herself. "You're right. We've based our treatment of her off of our own assumptions, many of which sprang from our experiences from the war," her hidden gaze reverted to the ground as well, "not to mention the bits of Homeworld still in us."

"Maybe we just didn't wanna be reminded of what happened to all those Quartzes," Ruby offered, "We didn't wanna think about how _she_ could've turned out."

Sapphire sighed, acquiescing to reality. Sometimes she questioned whether Rose ever noticed how the Quartzes that betrayed Homeworld felt, whether she ever did anything to alleviate their anguish.

The blue seer knew the truth, though, and that was what hurt the most. Yet she also knew this truth: Amethyst was and would always be a Quartz, no matter what anyone else said otherwise. And if the futures Garnet had seen regarding Amethyst and her emotional state were any indication, then the full weight of the whip-slinger's heritage might come full circle sooner than the others feared.

"We can't deny the truth, no matter how much we dislike it. Besides," the former aristocrat looked back to Ruby, "that sort of treatment is what Amber's life once entailed, too. Is it any wonder she told her?"

Feeling her anger crumple inward, Ruby curled her arms in even further to cradle herself. Stars, she felt lower than the dirt she came out of. How could they ever forget _that_ part of their lost friend's life?

Well, Rose did.

Negative thoughts of their departed leader coaxed tears that Ruby hastened to wipe away. "So what, do we hijack a time machine so we go back and threaten our past selves into being nicer to Amethyst...and maybe to Amber, too, while we're at it?"

Despite everything, that half-serious reverie got a halfhearted chuckle out of Sapphire. Ruby felt a weak smile creep up despite herself and rubbed her nape bashfully. The red Gem then noticed Marcus merrily lounging back, eyes trained on the heavens. Ruby knew better, though, and she knew Sapphire knew, too.

"Uh, sorry about that," the red brawler apologized with a blush.

Marcus turned to the lithomorph with a questioning hum, only to wave a dismissive hand. "Oh please, giving women space while they have an emotional vent session is one of my specialties."

Ruby found herself chuckling a little, thankful for Marcus' penchant towards jokes.

Sapphire hummed back in likewise amusement, still smiling. "Regardless, thank you for that. At least when we see either of them again, it will be with a clearer head. And if you see Amber—"

"Tell her we won't roast her too much for telling Amethyst about where she and Jasper came from," Ruby continued with a smile, which suddenly switched to a smirk, "although we're definitely gonna grill her about not telling us about telling her." If the rest of them had to be held accountable for keeping secrets from each other, so did that little cheeseball.

Marcus snickered at that promise of admonishment and flashed a hearty thumbs-up. "I'll be sure to pass on the message. Or warning, depending on your preference."

As he spoke, Ruby and Sapphire rejoined into Garnet, who returned the gesture with a genuine smile. "Thanks. And Marcus...," the fusion's face became somber, "If you see a large, orange Gem with white hair and red stripes, stay clear of her. She has no interest in humans, but she isn't the type to concern herself with collateral damage either."

"Watch out for big, scary beef mama. Got it."

Garnet gave one final thumbs-up and smile before launching upward. Marcus watched her disappear out of view before turning his head to the horizon and tending back to his drink.

He batted no eye as a violet tabby stepped out from the shadows of the greenhouse behind him and hopped into his lap, where she curled into a ball, bushy tail hiding her morose expression.

"Thanks," she murmured feebly.

Marcus stroked her back. "Don't mention it."

Calm settled around them.


	21. The Lucky Ones

**Note: Takes place the day after the events of "Steven vs Amethyst"; two days after "Gem Hunt" and "Crack the Whip"; six days after "Greg the Babysitter"**

* * *

Connie knew anxiety. More than she wished she did.

Social events, team projects, school exams, and (much to her dismay) Gem missions. Even after all the time she's spent with Steven and the Crystal Gems, her unease still found ways to resurface and rear its ugly head.

Revelations about her babysitter's pet hadn't helped much either. Imagine the paradox of facing your first monster, ready to pierce rose-colored metal into its body, only for the vision of a tiny yellow dog sleeping before a fireplace to flash across your eyes, halting you in mid-swing and leaving you open to attack.

And that's barring the fact that like this so-called dog, the monster you're aiming for is a person suffering from a damaged mind.

Not fun.

At least she hadn't choked as badly during her, Amethyst, Steven, and Lion's fight with Jasper and her corrupted 'soldiers'. _That_ she considered progress.

Seated upon the lowest row of seats at the 'redecorated' Sky Arena, Connie sighed calmly. Pearl had to cancel today's lesson after Garnet suspected via Future Vision where Jasper might be, and assured that she'll make up for the missed practice after the elusive Quartz's capture.

The damage Steven and Amethyst incurred on the arena for their recent competition might have had something to do with that decision, too.

Never one for letting her mind idle, Connie had tried practicing her moves with the practice sword for a bit. Wise use of her time, but extremely boring when you have nobody to spar with, let alone someone to cheer you on from the sidelines.

Besides, Steven and Amber couldn't join her today—not that Connie could blame them...

 ** _Plunk._**

Her eyes shifted at the soft sound of a water bottle posited to her left. She already guessed the person responsible before the beefy figure with a tied ponytail crossed her vision and took a seat to her right. Connie suddenly realized the cookie-filled Tupperware box now in her lap.

"Pops made them."

The young girl smiled as she took out one of the freshly made treats. "Thanks."

A moment filled with the sound of munching and sipping pursued as Kurtis and Connie took their time watching the horizon slip away from the sun. The slightest furrow came to the younger human's face. "I had my first mission two days ago." A committal grunt echoed back, acknowledging her. "It didn't turn out as well as I hoped it would."

Without looking, Kurtis tapped the girl's temple with a forefinger. "Still alive."

Connie couldn't restrain her dry half-smile. That _was_ a hard plus to argue against. She pulled up her left sleeve to inspect the red ribbon tied around her left wrist, a memento of Kurtis from just before she departed with Steven and Pearl that morning to the frozen north.

When she inquired about it, he merely replied, "So they don't waste time identifying your body."

Most people would have cringed at the cold comfort; Connie had hugged his neck tight.

Smiling at the memory, she stared off at the clouds for a moment to reflect on her thoughts. "Hey Kurtis? What should you do when you're being too hard on yourself?"

Kurtis turned to his little sister-figure with a soft expression. "Stop thinking too much." Something he knew the girl was almost notorious for. Yeah, she had a ton of expectations to live up to and her training to fall back on, but she still tended to over-analyze at times. "You have to be flexible in battle."

For some reason, Connie started giggling quietly, but toned it down at Kurt's questioning stare. "You sound a lot like Amethyst. She showed back up at the temple yesterday morning while Amber was watching me and Steven train and Garnet and Pearl were looking for Jasper. She told us how there's no time to think during a fight, that you have to be loose."

That sounded like Amethyst alright—not just the advice, but the 'popping out of nowhere' shtick, too. Kurtis could only imagine the earful Pearl and Garnet were going to give her once they met back up again. His musing cut off at the concerned light in Connie's downward eyes and the way she wrung her hands.

"I'm asking because Steven told me Amethyst hasn't been feeling well after that fight on the beach. She thinks we didn't need her just because Stevonnie drove Jasper away without her help."

Well shit. They were going to need more than cookies to quell _that._ Kurtis pursed his lips as he considered the best course of action.

Eventually, a deep sigh escaped him as he stood up, as did Connie. "Let's check up on her," they somehow stated at the same time. The two stared at each other in surprise before Kurtis huffed good-naturedly and bowed like a gentleman, hand gesturing to the Warp Pad.

Connie put one hand to her chest and another towards the pad. "Sages before apprentices." The young girl earned a tousle to her hair for that return quip, one she took in stride as she joined her brother figure on the pad, box of cookies in hand. With a flick of the whistle, they returned to the beach house in seconds.

There they found Steven looking out the open right window overlooking the front porch, both the boy and the beach before him bathed in tangerine from the sunset. Connie and Kurtis shared a look before they approached.

"Hey Steven."

"Hmm," Steven perked at his best friend's voice and turned to face her with a smile, though this one seemed to be a little forced. "Oh, hey Connie! Hey Kurtis!"

"How are they doing?"

Steven pointed towards the beach. Coming to their friend's side and craning over the wooden railings, Connie and Kurtis narrowed their eyes at the small yellow and purple figures sprawled out supine on the sand in front of the house, far away enough for the three humans to hear without making the lavender Quartz feel smothered.

Steven caught Kurtis' questioning stare. "Amethyst called Amber for...," he put a hand to his chin and looked off to the side for a moment, "a therapy session, I guess? They don't have the big fancy chairs or ink blots like they do on TV, but Amber _is_ letting Amethyst talk her feelings out."

"The key to effective therapy," Connie agreed with a nod.

Kurtis gently shushed the two kids just before Amethyst resumed her rant.

"I feel like I've let them all down! Not just the Quartzes like me, but other Gems like me, _period_! If I can't beat someone like Jasper the way I am," she threw her arms into the air, "how the hell can I be _perfect_ the way I am?"

Dark eyes thoughtful, Amber whirled a clawed hand in circles, gesturing her 'patient' to elaborate.

"I mean, I-I know Rose wanted me to be more than a fighter, and I can get behind that. But," Amethyst placed a hand to her chest, "fighting's part of who I am, too, and if I'm not good enough to do even that...," then looked away with a sorrowful grimace, "am I good enough for anything else?"

Steven fought against the urge to yell out 'yes, you are!' He still cringed on her behalf. Connie patted her Jam Bud's back consolingly.

Amber shared the boy's sentiment for she fixed a sympathetic gaze on her fellow Gem. Taking a deep breath, she s _cribble-scribbled_ in her notebook _._ **Amethyst, I may not be the right kind of person for you to be sharing all this with. I can listen and give feedback, but I can't exactly give** ** _good_** **feedback.**

"I know, I know, you're not that kinda doctor." Amethyst sounded so much like her usual sassy self that Steven fought hard not to hope too much, too quickly. She waved a dismissive hand. "You're still the only one besides Peridot and Lapis who said anything about where the Quartzes really came from, plus the only one besides Vidalia and Steven who I can vent to without gettin' judged."

 **Well, what about Vidalia then? You usually talk to her about stuff like this, right?**

"Thought about it after I finished all that training solo, but...for some reason, I kinda wound up at the barn instead. Like something in my gem was dragging me there instead." Amethyst groaned as she rubbed her forehead. "I ain't makin' sense, am I?"

Then she caught the way Amber arced an eyebrow at her. "What?"

 **So you talked to Peridot.**

Amethyst struggled—and failed—to contain her purple blush.

"Dot w-was on her way to the Temple when I showed up, said somethin' about needing Pearl's opinion on somethin' she's makin' for the barn. Was totally at a loss on how the heck I deal with...well you-know-what after I told her, but at least she admitted it." Something Peridot had in common with Vidalia: even when she had none of the answers, you could always count on her to be honest. "Just listened to little ol' me spitfire away. 'Cept..."

 **It didn't feel like enough, did it?**

The purple Gem shook her head. "No. More like I'm just repeating myself. Complaining about how Jasper wiped the floor with me ain't gonna change things, and I'm _sick_ of feeling this way." And she just knew everyone was probably sick of her whining about how lousy she felt, too. Aggravated, she banged her fisted hands into the ground, stirring up sand. "I just wanna stop feeling like I'm no good no matter what!"

A beat of silence passed as Amethyst lay there, stewing in her emotions, until Amber set her jaw, eyes growing serious. Amethyst raised her eyes drearily at the sound more writing.

 **If you ever want to come to terms with this, you may have to face Jasper after all.**

Seeing those words made Amethyst shoot up, shocked. "For real?"

 **Yes. If words won't help you, then maybe actions will.**

"You think I can beat her then?"

Amber wrote nothing, but Amethyst could take a hint. The lavender stone sighed, frustrated with herself. That is until she felt a claw tap her shoulder. Her eyes bugged out the moment she caught what Amber wrote next.

 **Especially since Steven'll be there to help you.**

Amethyst gasped, looking at the molehog as though she'd suggested taking a dip in lava. "Dude, are you crazy?! I'm not lettin' him near that nut!" The kid was tough, yeah, but Jasper would rip right through him without Connie for backup. "Besides, I gotta be able to do this myself! What's the point otherwise?"

Amber could only shake her head at the Quartz's continued obstinacy and gave up on convincing her otherwise. Sooner or later Amethyst was going to need to get through her head that independence doesn't mean isolation. If a literal smack from reality was the only way for her to accept that fact, so be it.

 **Regardless, on the off-chance you somehow succeed in beating her on your own and taking her prisoner, that means I might finally have a chance to talk to her.**

...Okay, that made no sense. Amethyst scrunched her face in confusion. "Talk to her about what?" She doubted Jasper would be willing to have a talk with Amber over a cup of tea, least of all after a severe butt-whoop.

 **I've been thinking about what you said at the barn. You asked me why I was so interested in Jasper and back then I had no idea how to answer that myself. But during my history lessons with Peridot, I was reminded about things leftover from the war. Confronting Jasper will be a step towards settling them.**

"Is this something to do with all that atonement stuff you're hung up on?"

Amber rubbed her nape, pensive. **A little bit. Let's just say there are a few things I'd like to put to rest. Who knows, maybe the newfound sense of peace will help me get my form back under control.**

 _Huh,_ Amethyst scratched her head, _I didn't think of that. I guess it'd be worth a shot. Still..._

She looked back up at Amber. "What do _you_ have to put to rest, though? You got a cozy place to crash, you don't gotta worry about being on missions—heck, you don't hafta worry about us hunting you down and stuffing you in a bubble anymore. I don't get why you bother with us when you could just keep livin' how you've been for so long."

Nothing.

"Amber?"

 _Scribble-scribble._

 **My sisters died right before we could defect.**

 _Dude._ Amethyst blanched. "Was Jasper the one who—"

Amber shook her head hard then morosely mouthed 'boom'. The meaning did not lose itself on Amethyst.

 **We were surrounded and one of us had to get important information back to Rose, so my sisters held back the Homeworld soldiers sent after us just so I could escape. I got away but there were too many after me, too many on top of them. In the end, my sisters had to**

The yellow molehog paused there with an indecisive face, unsure if she wanted to continue.

 ** _BZKKTTT!_**

Amber hissed as both her legs violently started to flicker, pencil falling from her grasp. So taken back by the sensation, she would have toppled backwards if Amethyst hadn't launched herself in time to catch her by the hands, taking care to avoid the long claws, and help stabilize her.

"You okay?"

Amber nodded. Out of habit, Amethyst fiddled with a loose bang near her gimpy eye, the presence of which flashed her back to the events of yesterday. A thought suddenly came. "You were there at Beta, right? Did you ever get to see how the Quartzes from there treat each other?"

Amber closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Oh, those were _not_ fun memories she wanted to relive.

 _Okay, bad question,_ thought Amethyst with a cringe. "Sorry."

Sighing, Amber shook her head, trying to give her best assuring smile. Unfortunately, Amethyst saw right through it. "But that's my point, ain't it? You're way stronger than me."

Amber narrowed her eyes, not understanding what the other lithomorph meant.

Amethyst threw her head back with a soft petulant growl. "You want an example? How about how Pearl sent like thirty of herself right at you and you owned them all? Or that you know how to corner corrupted Gems like they're nothing? Or, oh, how about the fact that you've survived on your own as a pincushion for the last _5000 years?"_

The Quartz's voice, though level and tame enough, simmered with self-hate. "All that got wrong about me was my size," she looked away as if ashamed to burden the other Gem with her presence. "I'd never be able to do half the stuff you did," she murmured as she wiped away a stubborn tear, "not on my own."

So lost in her own misery, the Quartz never noticed Amber create her next response in the sand between the two of them with slow deliberate strokes until the aureate stone tapped her knee, imploring her to look.

 **Lucky.**

A bitter hollow laugh escaped Amethyst. "Yeah, it figures."

Seconds later, she felt Amber tap her knee again. Moaning out of annoyance, Amethyst begrudgingly looked again, seeing Amber had added more to her answer.

 **Me. I lived by chance.**

Wait, what? Amethyst fixed a confused stare on the other Gem. "Uh Sparkles...I really don't—"

With a hiss of frustration, Amber slapped her hands onto the sides of Amethyst's head, smushing her cheeks, and pinned down the Gem with a glare that demanded no movement. The moment the yellow Gem made contact, both their eyes started glowing white as a golden shimmer traveled down Amber's arms into Amethyst's head.

Snide voices immediately filled the lavender Quartz's head, some of them uncomfortably familiar.

 _Worthless blob! Get over here and fix my screens already!_

 _Someone is going to take responsibility for this, and it certainly isn't going to be me!_

 _Well of course. Things always find a way to go wrong when you leave Ambers unattended._

 _Don't look at me. Look at this pitiful excuse for a mudstone that can't follow directions properly._

 _Oh, you have nothing to apologize for. I should've known better than to have handed you such defective tools._

 _Maybe if we pin it on her, they'll go easy on the rest of us Ambers for that malfunction. She is from Earth after all._

 _Many Gems are born lucky. Gems like you, little one, are lucky to be born._

 _You're the lucky one, sis. Never forget that._

The conscious stream cut off there, returning both Gems' eyes to normal, Amber having snatched her hands away to wipe off a few errant tears while Amethyst sat there shell-shocked at everything she'd heard. Even with the snippets given to her, she had enough to piece together Amber's point.

Sweet grief.

Amethyst put a hand on her counselor's furry shoulder, despite the other Gem not making eye contact with her. "So Gems on Homeworld made you and other Ambers into scapegoats for everything?"

... _Scribble. Scribble._

 **Gemstones like us are looked down upon because of our origins. If you relied on biological life to come into existence then you're instantly nothing more than an object. Its why Gems like me and Pearl rank so far down the hierarchy.**

Amethyst could only nod. Yeah, that sounded pretty much in line with what Peridot said about Homeworld and how it operates, and quite honestly Amethyst wasn't surprised in the least.

But wait, if Pearls were supposed to be 'pretty little decorations', what were Ambers then? Amethyst took her hand off Amber and put it to her chin, reviewing everything she'd heard from the data share.

Then it hit her, that one comment about 'defective tools'.

She eyed Amber warily as though in fear of triggering her. "Were you supposed to be like some kinda toolbox? Something Gems like Peridot would've lugged around to fix stuff?" Pearl _did_ say something once about how Ambers can store tons of data. When Amber responded with a solemn nod, Amethyst only shook her head, face twisting in disgust. "Dude, I don't know who had it _worse_ on Homeworld: you or Pearl."

Actually no, scratch that. Both Amber _and_ Pearl had led equally suckish lives on Homeworld, just in different ways. Chalk up yet another tally under the list of reasons Amethyst thanked her late emergence she was a Crystal Gem.

Although it hadn't come without its own lousy moments because, man, did Pearl know how to deliver them. _Amethyst, after as this competition's over, we're having a talk about that little stunt of yours. Amber, too._

The tiny Quartz had to wonder if Garnet made some baloney about her Future Vision pinpointing Jasper just to give Amethyst time to rest up before she had to deal with any more emotional baggage.

 _In which case, thanks G._

Speaking of whom, the tiny Quartz looked back at the beach house. When she noticed the trio watching, the purple Gem gave a hearty wave, one Connie and Steven gladly returned while Kurtis merely smiled back. She looked back to Amber with an empathetic gaze.

"Thanks for tellin' me, Abs."

The quills along Amber's back lit up white like lightbulbs as the skin of her pale snout blushed gold. The molehog hastily shook her head and managed a shy yet grateful smile, one the Quartz reciprocated as she lay back in a more comfortable pose.

"You never said you were from Earth either. I mean, if that's who that other Amber was talkin' about." When Amber confirmed with another nod, Amethyst blew her lips angrily. "And you got blamed for stuff cuz-a _that?_ Dude, why not tell us sooner?"

 **Suffice it to say, I was popular among Gems in a way I could have done without. It's part of why I feel more at ease among humans I guess I just didn't have enough faith in any of you to understand.**

A sad truth, but a truth nonetheless. Amber looked to the side, lost in thought, until a poke in the shoulder brought her attention to a smirking Amethyst.

"That's why we Earth Gems gotta stick together, girl! And just so you know, Sparkles, when I sock Jasper in the face, I'm dedicating the first hit to you."

Amber put a hand to her chest, her way of asking 'you're serious?' At Amethyst's pumped grin, the golden rock returned the mien and, without thinking, uttered out her thoughts. "...'Hanks."

She slapped a hand over her mouth, mind reeling at what just happened. Did...did her voice just...? Amethyst's stupefied expression asked the same question. Gingerly, Amber put her hand away and managed to squeak out another scratchy "...H-Hanks?"

Right away, Amethyst pointed to Amber excitedly, hopping up and down as though the other Gem just did the coolest thing ever. "Heeeeey! You just sounded like yourself! Yer actual self, I mean! Wait, wait, lemme think up another epic Quartz joke! We'll get that form uncorrupted in no time!"

Though Amber did not protest, she blushed amidst her efforts to hold back a tickled smile.

Back in the house, Steven and Connie shared a newly hopeful grin, thankful that Amethyst had gotten her cheerfulness back.

All the while, Kurtis only sighed in relief even though there was no hiding that smile of his.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Pearl wished she could smile herself.

First of all, no Jasper much to her and Garnet's (well mostly Pearl's) chagrin.

Second, that disappearing act of Amethyst and Amber's apparent role in it. Not that the little yellow Gem bothered to hide the truth about what she did once Pearl and Garnet confronted her, Peridot, and Lapis at the barn after a week of their resident whip-slinger's absence and immediately following Garnet's 'interrogation' with Marcus.

 _And now this._ The lithe veteran shot a disdainful glare to the quartet of colored eyes flickering in the distance, watching back. _Amber's not even with us this time! Why are they following us?_

A heavy thud to the side signaled Garnet's return. "That Quartz Jasper was tailing disappeared."

Crossing her arms, Pearl shook her head with an exasperated groan. "Impossible. Quartzes don't have the ability to just teleport. Of course," she tapped her chin, "that would mean..."

Garnet hummed thoughtfully before the two Crystals returned their attention to the trees. Though the glowing eyes no longer lingered, the two space ladies could still feel their eerie gazes.

Pearl huffed. "What I don't understand is why these Ambers would harbor that corrupted Gem. I can't recall them ever doing such a thing before." She angled her face to the ground. "Then again, they only started avoiding Amber, too. Could there be a connection between the two behaviors?"

But again, why? They couldn't possibly think _Amber_ wished to hurt the corrupted Gems. In which case, they were keeping the yeti-like being safe from Jasper. Or to put it more accurately, that targeted Quartz was seeking sanctuary. After all, if her footsteps stopped just short of the trees, then perhaps she had been _waiting_ to vanish there.

How would she know to come here then, though?

"Maybe it really _is_ that simple," Garnet finally answered, "that all these Ambers are keeping the corrupted Gems safe from Jasper. Or maybe just keeping them safe in general."

"They would need to have regained enough self-awareness to pull it off," Pearl retorted, "just like _our_ Amber, and I doubt every single one of them found human families of their own to interact with."

"Or at least someone to get them organized enough so they could recognize and remember what to do."

That statement caused Pearl to shoot a gaze of shock at her teammate. "Garnet, you're not suggesting that..."

"She always _did_ have many secrets."

Pearl put one hand to her chin and the other to her opposite elbow and eventually sighed. "All this does sound like something she'd do, wouldn't it?"

"Doesn't mean we have to follow every example of hers."

Pearl immediately placed two fingers to her forehead, just beneath her gemstone. "Garnet, please don't..."

"She deserves to know."

"I _know_ , Garnet! You think I haven't pondered over how torn apart she must be. But can you blame me for being upset about all this?! Ever since she disappeared, I kept asking myself: 'Where did we go wrong, what did we say wrong?' And then all of a sudden we come back to find her slouching around as if nothing happened!"

"She never did like sharing her issues with us." Voluntarily anyway. "She's worried about burdening us."

Pearl wanted so much to retort, to insist that Amethyst could most certainly have opened up to them about her problems. Yet she thought back to that incident when Amethyst introduced Steven to the Kindergarten.

 _You're the one good thing that came out of this mess. I always thought you were proud of that._

A saddened exhale escaped the lithe Gem. "Is it too late to start blaming Lapis for all this?" Because stars knew Pearl couldn't bring herself to blame Amber or even Peridot for how Amethyst acted, particularly the former despite the aborted attempt at confrontation this morning.

Garnet merely shrugged. "Antagonizing her wouldn't help much." The hydromancer only played by the CG's rules as long it meant they'd leave her alone. What reason did she have to care about the feelings of the same people who kept her prisoner for so long?

The fusion put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Instead of seeking blame for the past, let's head back and talk to Amethyst instead. Amber, too, if she's still there."

A second of quiet heavy with thought trekked by. At last, Pearl closed her eyes in defeat before facing the direction of the Warp Pad with a calm, serious mien and taking the lead back home.

 _Garnet's right. It's time we stopped stalling._


	22. Because of You

**Note: Takes place the morning after "Bismuth"; three days after the events of "Steven vs Amethyst"; and the morning of "Beta" and "Earthlings"**

* * *

 _"I don't have any choice, do I? I fight, I die. I don't try to, I die anyway. I'm trying to do some good, to stop feeling like..._ this _...but I only end up feeling worse."_

 _"Then don't stop."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Ever since you came ta us, you've been doing everything you can to help out. That's more than most Gems I've ever met."_

 _"Even if it wound up—"_

 _"That's another thing. Whoever's fault it was that we lost so many of our friends, it wasn't yours."_

 _"That's not—"_

 _"Same with your sisters. They knew what they were gettin' into, and I know they went down with no regrets."_

 _"..."_

 _"They won't get away with this."_

 _"...Promise?"_

 _"Swear on my gem, Sparky."_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Pearl swore to herself long ago that she would learn to accept the eccentricities of all her teammates.

Still a work-in-progress. In her defense, certain individuals had a special way of nettling her, even after she had buried the metaphorical hatchet with them. Amethyst naturally held a place of honor in that department.

And yet Pearl still tried, for the sake of her friends.

That's what the ballerina swordfighter reminded herself when she and Garnet knocked on the front door of Flores and Gardening on this cool Saturday morning. Because in any other situation, she would have scoffed at Amber lounging in her armchair with a lit pipe in her mouth like some anthropomorphic adaptation of Sherlock Holmes despite how she never shapeshifted lungs in the first place.

Instead, Pearl kept her patience steady and waited for her friend to respond.

As of now, Amber was tapping the mouthpiece of the pipe against her chin, eyes trained on the floor in a pensive stare. She looked up at the two Crystal Gems seated on the armchairs across from her before she waved the pipe in a circle, her way of saying 'carry on'.

Pearl sighed. She figured Amber wouldn't be satisfied with what they'd told her so far.

"Look," she sighed with a hint of exasperation, "we only found out where she'd been yesterday morning, let alone _why_ she wound up where she did last night." Stars knew they themselves were _still_ reeling from what Steven told them. And not much needed to be said for why they never told Bismuth of Amber's whereabouts either let alone her condition.

All the same, Amber closed her eyes contemplatively before letting out a sigh and cast a disappointed sigh on a vase of roses in one of the shelves lining the room.

Pearl got the implication and winced. She knew Amber had ample reason to disapprove of Rose's actions—all of them did when one thought about it (not that the others would voice as such). Amber _especially_ deserved the truth behind one of her closest friends missing for so long after the war, considering how much of an emotional support the weapon-maker had been for her back then.

But that fact also raised a question, one Garnet addressed as she cocked her head. "You only looked surprised when we told you _where_ Bismuth was found, not that she was found at all."

That observation caused Amber to angle her eyes away and Pearl to widen hers in realization at Garnet's valid point. The lithe Gem put a hand to her mouth in shock. "How long had you suspected Rose was lying about Bismuth?" she asked in wonder. When Amber continued to neither answer nor look them in the eye, Pearl knitted her brows in concern. "Did you...ever confront her about this?"

The continued silence weighed down on Pearl and Garnet until at last Amber deposited the ash in her pipe into a small black tray on the stand next to her chair, set aside the pipe, and hopped onto the floor. At first, the other Gems feared the molehog would end this conversation by leaving the room but instead Amber went for a tall chest of drawers standing in the left corner behind her chair.

When the yellow Gem pulled out a medium gray sphere from the bottom drawer, Pearl recognized the item with a gasp, a hand over her mouth while Garnet pursed her lips in a serious manner, braced for whatever Amber intended to show. Taking the notebook and pencil next to the tray, the molehog walked up to Pearl and offered the orb to her.

 **My Chronicle Globe from the Rebellion. Forgot about it after my corruption, but Rose returned it to help me communicate.** Her expression saddened. **Everything I experienced that day is recorded there.**

For a moment, Pearl could only gape in Amber in shock, not believing that her old friend would hand something this personal to her. One look into those dark eyes though and Pearl knew Amber meant none of this act in jest. Feeling deeply honored, she shared an understanding nod with Garnet before taking the globe into her hands as delicately as she would Rose's sword and scabbard.

With the utmost care, Pearl took the top hemisphere in her slender fingers and gently twisted it. Right away, the globe's circuitry started to glow sterling white. Before any of the Gems could blink, the glow spread from the globe to the entire room, coating everything in the patterns, which thickened until all the surroundings became a paper-blank void.

Then bit by bit, shapes and colors started to fill in the space like a sketch being drawn to life. Pearl and Garnet stood up as the scene completed itself; they had a feeling they'd end standing up anyway by the end of this recording. Looking around the familiar cavernous area, Garnet noted Amber's absence but decided against calling the yellow Gem out on it. The fusion had a hunch the molehog preferred not to re-experience this memory.

That said a lot about the kind of scene she and Pearl were about to witness.

Speaking of whom, Garnet felt her teammate's nimble hand softly taking hold of her bicep and tugging, an attempt to get her attention. When she did direct her gaze to Pearl, she needed no Future Vision to know the reason behind the lithe Renegade's wide-eyed stupor. Hands balled out of resolve, Garnet looked up as well just in time to see Rose and Amber—past Rose and Amber—emerge from the triangular entrance, where the former left behind a pink bubble encasing a green double-cut gemstone.

"...and that's why I'd like for you to come with me. It'll be easier to convince the leader to volunteer if I have someone to vouch—and who better than you? Besides, now that humanity's had time to improve on their understanding of the world, I think integrating her with a human group in this day and age should streamline the process more easily."

Amber merely nodded as she followed along, though only Garnet and Pearl noticed the somberness in her eyes.

Rose put a hand to her chin. "We could try that one community up in northern Treasure. A few of the human there are open-minded and the leader's already pretty much settled, what with her posing as part of the wildlife for so long. I think I even caught her interacting with them once, so—"

A gentle tug on her dress cut Rose off. She turned to Amber with a patient yet curious smile. "Yes?"

Walking up to the massive console that overtook the side of the room opposite of the entrance, Amber put an electrified hand on a panel to activate the machine. Once the screen lit up a bright pink, English typed across the screen in black blocky text. **It sounds doable, but we should still be careful. We can't expect _all_ of those humans to understand. You remember the last time an attempt like this blew in our faces, don't you?**

Surprise flitted across Rose's face, as though she hadn't expected Amber to bring that memory up, before she sighed at the rightful concern. Unlike the Lenape, the nearby tribes hadn't been as...welcoming to the idea of housing corrupted Gems. And forget the settlers; one passing look at a witch trail had been enough to put that option out of both Amber _and_ Rose's heads.

"I do," she quickly regained her smile however, "but that was a long time ago, Amber. We have a better idea what to do now." At Amber's skeptical stare, Rose giggled behind her hand abashedly. "Well, what _not_ to do, to be more precise."

Despite herself, Amber bit back a smile of her own as she exhaled in exasperation. Even in the darkest of times, Rose had a way of lifting the tension.

"But let's save that for after this," Rose sidled her eyes to the entrance, "the others should be coming here soon. They noticed the lightning storm you let of earlier during your fight with that Onyx." Her eyes sidled to Amber. "That's what we were hoping for, right?"

Pearl and Garnet shared a suspicious glance at the question. They'd long suspected that Rose drawing their presence to the Strawberry Fields had been premediated. It sounded like the sort of plan their former leader would have concocted. But that alone never explained the battle-worn condition they found her in.

The reason had been obvious, even back then, but what about the reason _behind_ that reason? Why had there been a fight here at all?

Indeed, Rose averted her eyes to the ground for a second, as though debating something with herself, her smile dimming. "I have to admit...I'm still a little iffy about this," she ended with a nervous chuckle.

Amber patted Rose's pudgy hand to comfort her. **Save for Amethyst, you've all known each other for 5000 plus years. And from what you told me, Amethyst has taken quite the shine to you. They'll understand when you tell them the truth.**

Despite the gentle and assuring smile Amber accompanied with her words, Rose looked away with a downward gaze filling with guilt and worry, her smile a ghost of itself by this point. "You make it sound so easy," she started in a small voice, "I know what to tell them, I know _how_ to tell them," she shrugged, "but no matter how much I tell myself it's for the best, the thought of their reactions..."

Another tug on her dress brought her attention to Amber and the screen.

 **You don't want to disappoint them.**

Rose smiled more genuinely, grateful for her smaller friend's empathy.

Smiling back, Amber cocked her head. **Do you remember when Pearl and I had that argument shortly after you guys found me and that child?**

Pearl couldn't help but cringe. She remembered that altercation all too well.

Rose nodded. "I remember. Bismuth was the one who found you and brought you back."

 **I never could've brought myself to join the rebellion after what happened. Not if she hadn't gone after me. I felt like such a failure back then—to you, to Pearl, to the other Crystal Gems...to my sisters...**

"It sounds like Bismuth really inspired you," Rose chuckled faintly, "She always had that effect on others."

Amber shuffled her feet. **I wouldn't say 'inspired'. More like she renewed my sense of hope. I lost so much after I emerged from the Earth. Giving up felt like the most sensible thing to do.**

"But you didn't," Rose replied with conviction, "You and your sisters turned against Homeworld for the planet you came from. You kept going to see that wish through. And now here you are."

Neither Pearl nor Garnet had any idea how to feel about the sentiment coming from Rose. 'Here you are' validated undergoing corruption and feeling isolated from other Gems. At the same time, though, they could get what Rose intended to say. Judging by the forced smile on Amber's muzzle, they could tell she felt the same and was thus holding the observation to herself.

Instead the molehog twiddled her toes like a nervous child, the perfect façade of meekness. **Bismuth told me the exact same thing, told me that every time I felt like surrendering. That's why I felt so sad and hurt when you told us what happened to her.**

Something in Rose's eyes shifted. Pearl and Garnet knew that look well enough to know that Rose was currently experiencing a rare moment: she had been played.

And yet even as the carnation Gem spoke, her voice remained steady, belied only by the wariness in her eyes. "Yes. Her disappearance was a great loss to all of us."

 **Did you ever find traces of her?**

A moment of silence. Rose gently wrung her hands, eyes not meeting her friend's, and shook her head. "I tried. Homeworld made sure we found none of her remains. I suppose that was their way of intimidating us."

Amber tilted her head again, eyes searching...knowing.

 **Actually, it always struck me as odd how Homeworld's forces just happened to attack you both at the volcano.**

Pearl caught the subtle tension in her former leader's shoulders. Rose had forgotten how well Amber could detect liars.

 **Because I remember right before we lost her how she told me and Pearl that she hoped to give the rebellion an edge. Maybe even end it early before we lost anymore friends.**

Amber started to walk a circle around Rose, hands behind her back, and though the smaller Gem's eyes were no longer on her, Rose remained cautious. **Pearl insisted that was wishful thinking. Of course, we both know how stubborn Bismuth could be. In fact, if memory still serves me right, her last words to me were about how she had big plans, plans she couldn't _wait_ to tell you.**

Amber stopped between the Rose and the terminal. A small part of Pearl resented how Amber took pleasure in the way her shadow, fortified by the screen's amaranth light, swallowed Rose as though the former soldier were facing a Diamond. The yellow Gem's eyes zeroed in on her 'friend', accusing and stern.

 **Bismuth never died, did she?**

Rose remained where she stood, stricken and silent.

 **Why isn't she free?**

"You know how charismatic Bismuth was," Rose quickly replied in a terse tone, all pretenses dropped. "The rebellion would have disintegrated."

Amber rolled her eyes. **I know that. What I don't know is why you're keeping her bubbled after the fact.** Her face softened as she held her clawed hands out. **The rebellion is over, Rose. Bismuth will understand if you just let her out and explain yourself, just like how the others will understand why you kept me a secret.**

For a moment, just one brief moment, Rose folded in on herself, as if to agree...then she hardened, Quartz leader once more.

"No. I can't risk that. The rebellion may be over, but that doesn't mean the war is. You're right; letting Bismuth out means telling her everything that happened: all the friends she lost, all the lives that might have been spared if I let her have her way."

Closing her eyes, Amber breathed through her nose to keep her patience steady. **Then tell me, Rose. What was 'her way'? What was the 'big plan' that warranted you sealing her away for so long?**

Rose broke eye contact to divert her heavy focus to the wall, as if to delay facing the subject. She knew better. "Bismuth intended to shatter the Diamonds—all of them—with a weapon made specifically to destroy a target's gemstone. She hoped I'd approve it as a means of ending the rebellion."

 **Why didn't you then?**

Rose gawked as though Amber had just asked why they ever rebelled at all. "Because it would have only made things worse for everyone! What Bismuth envisioned was foolhardy and reckless! Whether or not I agreed, any forces following her plan would have most likely failed in the end."

With a step forward, Amber hardened her countenance, the typing on the screen slowing in its pace, as though Rose herself was the one being slow. **You could have worked out an alternative, like some way to lure the Diamonds out so they'd be easier to pick off.**

"Shattering one of them was enough!" Rose retorted in a heated tone. "I was lucky to accomplish even that!"

The ferocity behind Amber's scowl unnerved even Garnet, the molehog's teeth bared like a wild animal's. **No, it wasn't enough! The Diamonds sit atop the whole hierarchy. _They_ are the ones driving Homeworld. They are the ones who get to sit back and bask in their glory and power while the rest of Gemkind cracks its stones just to 'serve' them. They deserve what Bismuth intended!**

Rose massaged her temples in an attempt to calm herself. Neither Pearl nor Garnet could ever recall seeing their ex-leader so frustrated. "And what about Homeworld itself? It may not be our home anymore, but it still is for our people! Even if Homeworld _is_ awful, the Gems who depend on it don't deserve to be left in the dark!"

Whatever sort of response everyone expected out of Amber, it had not been her staring at Rose with more hurt than anyone present had ever seen on her, eyes starting to mist up.

Yet she never cried, she never yelled. Rather her face saddened.

 **Why not? Us Gems are worth nothing more than the dirt we crawled out of, after all.**

That sentence stunned past and present Gem alike. Pearl with both hands over her mouth, eyes wide. Garnet with mouth agape and hands frozen open. And Rose...Rose had nothing to say. How could she? She could only stand there, mouth hung open and eyes wide from disbelief.

Amber gave her no time to respond.

 **I am so _sick_ of us thinking we can do whatever we want—with each other, with other lifeforms, with the universe—just because the Diamonds say we're more advanced. ** The quills on Amber's back started to puff out, like those of a porcupine ready to lash out. **How we know better than everyone else. Do you know how many human lives I've seen ruined—not just because of Homeworld but because of the fighting our war wrought?**

The hurt compassion in Rose's could not have been more painful to see. "I-I know that! But none of us could help that! That's war!"

 **You sure? Because I can still remember the talks I overhead from our so-called teammates, talks about getting the humans to 'work' for us, about making sure they show gratitude to us for saving their world.**

Garnet winced and Pearl grimaced. They well remembered such conversations and never abided by them. No matter how much humans puzzled them, neither the fusion nor Renegade ever fancied the idea of forcing on humanity what they themselves tried so hard to defy.

All of this, they never told Rose, for so many reasons. And as they took in their departed friend's agonized shock, Pearl wished with every photon in her being that they had.

"I-I...," Rose barely managed to stammer, head tilted away though she never took her eyes off Amber, "I had no idea that..."

Amber deflated. **Of course not. You never got to hear and see as much hypocrisy as me. How can someone expect you to treat organic life as inferior when you're dealt the same treatment every waking second—or _still_ dealt it as a matter of fact? Because having how you feel about your fellow Gem type treated like the rantings of a maniac? Not fun.**

"Amber...," Rose started as she held a hand out.

 **So, are you going to bubble me now? I could tell from the slightly higher emissions from your gemstone that you're carrying your sword in it. It'd fit perfectly with what you said to Pearl the other day, about how you were thinking about calling off a certain project of yours.**

Despite knowing better, Pearl wanted so badly to retort otherwise. She knew what conversation Amber must be referring to, she had suspected what Rose had meant back then, but she had no idea it would have entailed something like this.

Rose, of similar mind, shook her head vehemently. "Amber! _Please_. I don't want this to be like with Bismuth!"

Amber narrowed her eyes even more now. **Well we both know you have no intentions of letting her out, just like you have no intentions of revealing me to the others.** Then she pointed a claw at her. **And since you won't come out and tell them the truth, I will.**

A look of disbelief and confusion took over Rose. "But...you're corrupted! There's no guarantee they'll listen to you."

 **Oh they'll certainly listen. They just need an incentive. Or better yet—** a sly smirk came across Amber as she raised a fist **—a hostage.**

 **WHAM!**

The moment Amber slammed that fist onto the console, a smooth shimmering barrier came into existence from the center top and encompassed most of the room, resembling a makeshift arena, leaving the spectators and bubbled Onyx just outside it and Rose inside. Amber stepped in as well just before the barrier sealed off.

"Amber," Rose tried one last time as she summoned her shield, voice guarded yet calm, "We can still talk this."

The response the carnation Quartz received consisted of a barrage of electrified quills, forcing her to raise her shield against the attack.

Amber was done talking.

In the blink of an eye, the molehog summoned four massive spheres of golden energy that flew from her hands and seemed to sink halfway into the ground, acting like energy mines that severely restricted her opponent's movements. Indeed Rose cautiously watched her step, well familiar with how damaging her friend's powers could be to even the sturdiest of Quartzes.

But no way could Amber have regained the same dexterity from before her corruption, not yet...right?

Rose had no further time to wonder as Amber disappeared from sight and reappeared at the top of the barrier to unleash another storm of quills, which the pink stone deftly blocked—just as Amber intended.

In another flash, Amber warped right behind Rose's legs and delivered an electrified leg sweep, forcing the Quartz to jump out of the attack's range. With her opponent now in the air, Amber seized the opportunity to will the mine spheres to fly out the ground and towards Rose, seeking to catch her in the crossfire.

Out of pure reflex, Rose tucked herself into a spin-dash and soared out of the way just before the balls collided and exploded into a flash that forced Pearl and Garnet to cover their eyes. Amber, completely unaffected, eyed the trajectory of her target's path and warped out of sight right before Rose came out of her roll and landed back on her feet.

The moment she did, she found her throat in a vice grip, a circle of electrical energy constricting her while Amber reappeared behind her with one hand held out, her face set in deadly determination. What's more, violent glitches started to overtake her form, her body flickering blue more and more as Amber started to ball her hand.

Garnet grit her teeth, hands shaking, while Pearl covered her mouth in tears and bit back the futile urge to rush in and stop all this, neither of them wanting to see their friends do this to each other.

Right before the molehog could complete her fist and finish the job, Rose willed her bubble into existence, destroying the bind and returning its energy in a rush of force that sent Amber reeling. This maneuver spared Rose enough time to recover then launch herself towards the ceiling of the barrier, shield aimed towards the top.

Pearl realized Rose's intentions in an instant. Force fields such as this one had been designed to protect the Gems at the controls and be flexible in who and what it could protect, ranging from the Gems themselves, to the controls, to even the entire floating island housing the machines.

But there existed a weak point: the very top where the energy converged. With a normal weapon, be it Gem or otherwise, the barrier would remain intact but if a strike returned enough energy—

 **BONK- _CRACK!_**

Rose bounced back from the recoil but managed to halt the descent with her floatation abilities—only to gasp in shock when she noticed the cracks were immediately starting to mend themselves! Catching on quickly, Rose shot a glance at Amber just in time to see the electrokinetic turn away from a part of the arena's wall where she'd been feeding her power into the construct to keep it whole.

With a distempered frown, Amber waved a hand to summon a plethora of yellow lasers around the Quartz, the bars of light suspended like possessed arrows before they shot at Rose.

Except Rose proved too fast. In fact, she proved too quick on her feet for she took advantage of the lasers' homing ability to make them strike the barrier's top instead, forcing Amber call off the attack to undo the damage. She couldn't afford to let Rose get away, not if it meant letting herself and Bismuth and everything else Rose hid fade away forever.

She was _done_ being a secret to the only Gems left for her to consider friends.

With renewed resolve, Amber started to glow a fierce shade of gold and turned with glaring eyes alit in white to Rose, who landed on the opposite side of the arena, ready for another attack. Suddenly the glow around Amber started to snake and twist in front of her, growing and shifting into something.

That's when Rose, along with Pearl and Garnet, gasped at the shape the figure had taken: a massive bear reared on its hind legs, its hulking head raising to cast matching glowing eyes on Rose. At the command of Amber's screeching snarl, the bear let off a resounding roar as it shot towards Rose with the speed of a bullet.

Rose barely had enough time to raise her shield again (the bear almost reached the ceiling and left no room to maneuver around it).

Big mistake.

So focused on the incoming behemoth, she failed to noticed Amber's sudden absence until she heard a whoosh right behind her, followed by the feel of something clinging its claws into her mass of hair. Right as she did, the room seemed to vanish around her, the floor included.

Except it hadn't. Rose had just been teleported by her new passenger to far above the Strawberry Fields—along with the Lightning Bear, which reappeared right in her face, eye to eye, and exploded instantaneously in a blinding burst that forced Pearl and Garnet—they now stood midair far above the terrain—to shield their eyes.

Immediately after, two figures went souring out of the resultant smoke-cloud and landed hard into a patch of strawberries, the fruits' red juices splattering over all over the two stones upon landing. They bounced and skidded a few feet until they finally came to a stop.

Silence reigned...

Then slowly, ever so slowly, Amber rose to her feet and wobbled on her feet before righting herself. Even though Rose took most of the blast, the force of it still left Amber pretty shaken and fairly electrocuted herself. Thank the stars for electrical resistance in that case.

Now then, to _finally_ carry out what she meant to do.

Waving a clawed finger, Amber conjured more binds to keep Rose still, let alone prevent her from drawing her sword. Then with a final huff, she marched towards Rose with claws crackling with energy. Once she reached the felled Quartz, she raised a hand...

"Maybe it _is_ best you did this."

Amber paused in mid-swing and blinked out of surprise. Though Rose never raised her head, Amber could hear the regret in her voice.

"I'm such a coward. I almost let Bismuth out once you know, right after the Rebellion ended. It was right before we found you. I asked myself if it was too soon, if she still needed time. So I didn't. I tried again a decade later and still didn't. Decades, centuries...eventually it got to the point that I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was just too scared."

A weak chuckle sounded out.

"It's kind of funny, huh? I could lead an entire army against a massive empire yet not have the courage to tell my friends what's wrong," she angled her saddened eyes and smile at Amber, "I'm so sorry I hid you away as though you were something to be ashamed of. You never were. I guess I was just...scared it would end horribly, that you might end up bubbled, never to see the world again."

"That's why I told Pearl I'd be 'ending this project', why I brought my sword with me. I thought I could take you someplace faraway, someplace where you could be happy and safe...but that was just another way for me to run away, wasn't it?"

Her face crumbled into something rare for the Rebellion leader: a look of defeat. "I can't fix what's happened to you, not on my own; maybe I never will. But I do think there's a chance and I think the key to that lies in humanity."

"ROSE?!" Amber, Pearl, and Garnet all stiffened at the familiar call of past Pearl's voice.

When Amber looked back down at Rose, the pink Quartz gave her a small yet assuring smile.

"Whatever you do from here on out, I hope it's what makes you happy."

... ** _SWSSSHH!_**

In a resounding poof, Rose's gemstone fell to the grassy ground as Amber collapsed to her knees and held her head, her thoughts distraught.

She couldn't do it; she just couldn't, not after Rose looked at her like that, those gentle eyes seared into the molehog's mind! Her dark eyes cast upon the pink stone, torn emotions raging. Bismuth deserved to be free, Rose was wrong to deny her that for so long...yet she never did it out of cruelty.

All she wanted was to keep from losing even more friends, just like Bismuth.

That realization shook Amber to her core. With trembling hands, Amber hid Rose's gemstone in a nearby bush so that her friend would have time to return.

Although Quartzes had quick regeneration times, a necessity for when you're designed for fighting, Amber felt she owed Rose a chance to save face. Besides, on the off-chance Rose didn't come back in time, the others wouldn't have the fright of seeing their leader reduced to her base form.

Turning to the distance, Amber noticed faint flashes of light in the distance—the result of Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst striking against the additional barrier Amber set around the land so her and Rose's fight would go uninterrupted.

Amber warped back into the computer room and set the computer to deactivate the smaller barrier inside. As for the larger counterpart, she set it for a timer of 8 hours, giving Rose more than enough time to regenerate so she'd be as good as new. Then she took the bubble and its occupant, peaceful despite the madness that took place here, and warped back to the bush to hide them alongside Rose.

And when she looked over her shoulder to gaze out at the horizon, she regarded the distant flashes with regret before vanishing from sight.

She'd messed up enough here.


	23. No Hard Feelings

Kurtis valued routine. It meant tasks stayed organized, that appointments were not forgotten so easily, that chores got done. Plus, you never had to worry about your mind wandering off to stuff best left alone.

Unfortunately, routine also had a way of getting thrown off track easily. If someone wasn't where they were supposed to be at a certain time or if an unforeseen event like bad weather happened, even the most carefully laden plans could go awry.

That's why Kurtis also believed in backup plans.

Take this morning for example.

He woke up at the usual 6 a.m. to help out with breakfast, only to find Pearl at the table with tea in her hands, Uma at the stove as though nothing about this scene warranted question. The elder woman did not take long to notice her grandson in the doorway, let alone his confusion.

"Good morning, _nuxwiti_!" Uma greeted cheerily. Hearing the greeting, Pearl stiffened at the sight of the young man, eyes wide like those of a deer in headlights; Kurtis pretended not to notice. "Did you sleep well?"

Kurtis stretched his muscled arms with a faint grunt. " _Nkëkhitunkòm_. _Tani hách Amber?"_ When Uma shrugged at the question, he blinked out of curiosity. Amber was usually down here with them at this time. _"Nuxa?"_

Playfully rolling her eyes, his grandmother gestured in the direction of the family greenhouse. "Your lazy father is probably strolling amongst the flowers again. As for Amber, it's best to let her be for now. She's probably meditating with Garnet after that session."

 _Session?_ Kurtis eyed Pearl out of his peripherals, the slim Gem pointedly avoiding his gaze in favor of her tea. Sighing, the young man took a seat opposite their guest and accepted the cup of decaf his grandmother offered him soon after. Whatever business the slim rock woman had here, Kurtis had no intentions of discerning it.

That is until Pearl suddenly stood up with a nervous smile. "Speaking of Garnet, I better get back with her! Thank you, ma'am, for having us here but it's best that we got back to the temple!"

Uma waved a blasé hand. "Oh come now. What's Earth time to someone who's functionally immortal?"

Okay, that was a pretty damn good argument. Pearl sucked her lips inward in verbal defeat and hesitantly sat back down, Uma taking that as permission to set a napkin next to her cup. The lithe Gem eyed the napkin with wary defiance, as though the cloth dared order her to remain seated.

Kurtis hid an amused half-smile behind his cup at the sight. Steven's rock-moms were a trip sometimes.

His grandmother batted no eye. "Now then, I'd best get the shop open! I'll call you if I need any help, alright?" She patted Kurt's hand as she walked past to the front of the shop. Without looking back, she waved over her shoulder goodbye. "You two enjoy yourselves."

 _Oh stars,_ Pearl thought with a grimace. This was _not_ how she intended to spend her morning. Why didn't she choose to wait for Garnet at the temple instead? Better yet, she could have gone with her so they could find Amber together. Okay, so the small yellow Gem had always been closer friends with the fusion than with Pearl but still—

"I'm not gonna attack, ya know?"

The blunt statement took Pearl by surprise, and only took her a moment to realize it had come from Kurtis.

She rolled her eyes at the ludicrous statement. She didn't _fear_ him; she just...feared interacting with him instead—and something in her gemstone told her that Kurtis suspected the same if his knowing look was any indication. She straightened her posture, not threatening but still dignified. "I'm well aware of that. It's just—"

"You want to know why I'm not."

Okay, did this young human _have_ to finish her sentences like that? This conversation felt like talking with Garnet only more aggravating. With a petulant sigh, Pearl leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "That would be preferable."

Kurtis took another sip of his coffee. "Rainbow crow." Pearl arched an eyebrow that requested explanation. "The rainbow crow. It's a legend from my people about a beautiful bird that lost its plumage to save the other animals from a deadly winter. I think it was Miss Rose's favorite story, if I remember right."

"It was," Pearl affirmed with nostalgic eyes into her tea, ignoring how Kurtis sidestepped her question, "she even kept that black feather you gave her back then. I wanted to burn it after she told us about Steven." The look of curiosity Kurtis gave had not been what Pearl expected, but she managed a sad smile. "She'd already made her mind up about having a child with Greg by then, but...I think that story you shared was what gave her one last push."

No response. The distant chirping of morning birds compensated but to avail.

"I _thought_ you looked upset when I saw you with Lydia."

Pearl's face pinched. Already the heated words she and the woman exchanged long ago echoed with a vengeance, the perplexed child the young man had been, watching from afar amidst a sandcastle, clear as well.

 _I never could stand how you humans put so much stock into unfounded concepts._

 _What's that supposed to mean?_

A regretful sigh comprised Pearl's response. "You were so small back then. You couldn't have known." What right did she have to expect someone that age to understand? To recognize the impact of one small mistake? _No,_ Pearl corrected, _it was never a mistake._ It had simply been Rose doing what she did best: reaching out to others.

All Kurtis did was reach back.

 _Just that your species is laughably dependable on things that never existed, let alone have proof that they do. Even with how far humans have come since they crawled out of their caves, your species is still inane enough to think that there are higher abstract forces that care about you._

 _Oh, like your species hasn't been doing the same for millennia?_

 _...H-How do you—_

 _The only difference is that we humans weren't as 'fortunate' enough to have one big oligarchy leading our whole planet. Nope, we had to learn that all on our own—and let me tell you, we are no closer to being perfect than when we started._

 _I implied no such thing!_

"She really let you have it," Kurtis spoke.

"Well, I _was_ the one who started it."

 _You didn't have to. The way you act does that for you._

 _Excuse me?!_

 _Look, I couldn't care less what you think about humanity. My only stipulation is that you take it to somebody who gives two shits because all_ I _care is making sure is that the kid I brought to this beach has a good time here._

"It was also my fault for not letting her leaving it at that."

 _What does everyone keep seeing in these tiny, fragile things?_

In her mind's eye, Pearl could see Lydia turning to her, confused by her question and no doubt impatient that this crazy space lady refused to let this conversation end.

 _You, Greg, Amethyst...Rose...what's so worthwhile about something so powerless and insignificant? What supposedly beautiful, wonderful thing do you all keep seeing that I don't?!_

 _Lady, whatever you're getting at, you might wanna talk this out with—_

 _I'm getting at the fact that everyone sees it fit to throw everything they've worked for, everyone who loved them, just for some tiny creature that can't understand anything about what others gave up for it! Because I've been trying; I_ am _trying and I still don't understand!_ What _was so important about one child that Rose ended herself for it?!_

Present-day Pearl groaned at the recalled theatrics of her past self, face in her hands as if to hide away from the mortification. So lost in herself, the lean Gem vaguely noticed the feel of a warm calloused hand on her back. For a half-second, she mistook the person for Lydia, awkwardly comforting her like she did on the beach long ago, but it was only Kurtis when she looked, the human's face unsure and patient.

Stars, Pearl wished Kurtis hadn't brought that memory up. Then again, perhaps that had been more of inevitability than mere possibility. With a precious someone they had in common now, the two of them would be foolish to assume they would not end up running into each other, which meant coming to terms with one another as well.

With a petulant sigh, Pearl took a nearby napkin to wipe away encroaching tears. "I'm sorry you heard all of that. It was grossly unbecoming of me."

Kurtis shook his head. "People in mourning get angry." That was one of the stages of grief, after all. "Me and Lydia were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

 _As if that fact justifies my dragging either of you into my drama._ Still, Pearl appreciated the lack of resentment. The last thing she wanted was making enemies with Amber's family. Speaking of Amber, Garnet had been gone on her search for the yellow Gem a while now. Where was she?

As if in sync with her thoughts, Marcus wheeled into the kitchen, the scent of potting soil fresh on him. That classic debonair smile appeared at the sight of the Crystal Gem in his kitchen. "Why Señorita Pearl, looks about ta be that time!"

Pearl and Kurtis looked at him perplexedly. "Papá," Kurtis slanted his head forward, brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Marcus mouthed a silent 'o' and snapped his fingers, realization lightning up in his eyes. "My bad! Forgot the context! Lemme start over: Señorita Pearl, in accordance with Lady Garnet's vision, she and Amber would love if you were to join them at this time." Wait, so they weren't here then? Just as Pearl opened her mouth to ask just that, Marcus seemed to read her mind instantly. "At Silver Lake just on the edge of Beach City to be more precise."

Pearl smiled gratefully and moved to leave before a realization stopped her: there were no Warp Pads near that area. At best, she'd have to hike a good number of miles, which would take her well into the late afternoon if she started this instant. And who knew _where_ Lion was at this point.

 _I guess I'll just have to ask Greg for a ride._ In which case, she smiled graciously at Marcus. "Thank you for telling me. I better not keep them waiting."

"I'll take you there."

Once again, Kurt and his bluntness took Pearl by surprise.

"Oh no, no!" The slim swordfighter held her hands up. "That's quite alright. I can always ask Greg for a ride."

"True dat," Marcus agreed though not without wagging a finger afterward, "but dear Gregory's on the other side of town while Kurt here's an inch or two away." He shrugged his shoulders, face in a nonchalant pout. "Just sayin'. You'll spare yourself a good deal of legwork."

Pearl could only roll her eyes. Ugh, these humans did not want to make this endeavor easy on her, did they? Actually, now that she thought about the offer, having Kurtis along may help when she saw Amber again—that is assuming the young man wanted to join in on that conversation at all.

Either way, Kurtis nodded at his father's suggestion before grabbing his jacket off the coat rack by the refrigerator and waving a hand to gesture Pearl to follow him, the Crystal Gem following suit.

A good ten minutes later, the pair arrived at Silver Lake in Kurtis' blue, slightly rusted pickup truck. Looking out the passenger-side window, Pearl could see Garnet and Amber sitting together on the off-white sandy shore, throwing rocks across the surface (of all activities but who was she to judge?). Pearl exited the car and crossed the green grass towards her friends. Out of her peripheral, she noticed Kurtis hanging back to lounge against the truck and check his phone.

 _Looks like I'm going in alone, after all._

Fortunately, when Amber and Garnet saw her they waved with smiles. Pearl took at as a good sign and returned the greeting just as she reached them, hands behind her back, eyes quickly noting the notebook and yellow-ladybug backpack between the two other Gems. "Amber? Are you feeling alright?"

Picking up the notebook, Amber wrote her response. **Well enough, all things considered. Are YOU feeling alright?**

"Also well enough, 'all things considered'." Pearl crossed her arms reproachfully. "It was rather rude to show us something that significant and just leave in the middle of it, you know." Despite the words, Pearl said them with a playful smirk. She wanted to make sure Amber bore no ill-will towards them for driving her to share that painful memory with them.

 _Scribble-scribble._

 **It's also rude to visit someone at 3 in the morning to tell them a best friend of theirs had been hiding another best friend behind their back, but at least you guys had the decency to knock first.**

 _That_ response inspired a bright cyan blue out of Pearl. Alright seriously, did everyone in the Flores family have the innate ability to argue very well?

Garnet shrugged, holding back a smile at Pearl's expression. "Given the choice between that and never telling you at all, this was the lesser of the two rudes."

"Impoliteness aside," Pearl interjected before this conservation derailed too far into silliness, "I'm guessing you two had a lot to talk about."

"We did," the maroon fusion shifted her body around to face her teammate properly, "would you prefer all the details or just a summary?"

Smiling, Pearl took a seat on the ground before her friends, legs crossed. "I don't expect an epic honestly."

Garnet looked to Amber, who nodded, and returned her gaze to Pearl. "Once we came out of the Globe's simulation, I caught Amber in her dog form, just about to leave. She told me she was headed for the barn so she could ask Lapis to fly her here."

 _That would certainly explain how you two got here so quickly._ In fact, now that Garnet mentioned the water-shifter, Pearl looked around herself but could not see Lapis anywhere. She must have gone back to the barn. Pretty fitting that Amber had sought her help to retreat here; the yellow Gem often chose large bodies of water like this during the war to meditate. However, Pearl also marveled that Lapis let Garnet accompany them; the water Gem must had at least shown resistance until Amber convinced her.

"I didn't want to leave you out of it, Pearl. " Garnet removed her glasses to give her friend an apologetic stare, "but considering whom that memory involved—"

Pearl shook her head, ignoring the pang in her stone. "I understand. That was a hard epiphany for both of us," she scratched her cheek and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I needed some time to digest everything anyway."

Amber rubbed her nape abashedly. **We all did. Like I told Garnet, you guys didn't have to come after me.**

"We didn't'," Garnet slanted her head to her much shorter friend, "I just wanted to make sure you didn't feel alone."

Whereas Pearl had been content to collect her thoughts over the incident between Rose and Amber, Garnet had not been able to shake off the frustration, the anxious energy brought about by her uncertainty. As much as she had been improving in communicating with the others, she remained a person of action. Hence why she chose Amber's wordless Steven-like companionship and asked to come along for the ride. She needed some peace of mind.

Speaking of peace, Amber put her hands together in a meditative position, almost as though she were praying for strength, before directing a soft apologetic gaze to Pearl. **Since we're all making up here, I'm sorry Amethyst's so obsessed with Jasper. I only wanted her to know more about her heritage, not send her on a death wish.**

Pearl shook her head. "To be honest, she was bound to learn more about this eventually. It's more on us that she's so upset about all this."

"She's going to be okay," Garnet asserted, "As long as she and Steven stick together, she'll pull through this. But Pearl," she looked up to her friend, "we can't afford to make our own go wayward anymore. We have to be more open with Amethyst about all this going forward. Steven, too."

 **Don't forget Peridot.** The others looked at Amber confusedly. **She knows literally nothing about her own species, let alone the history. Did you know that Homeworld leads the current generation to believe that the Diamonds were the ones to come up with the idea of the injectors?**

Pearl could not help the incredulous snort that escaped her. "Of course not! That was clearly the work of a dedicated technician. Peridot Facet-1H6G Cut-3DA as a matter of fact." Just because the Diamonds were the leaders didn't mean they had to assume credit for every bit of progress. How full of oneself could a Gem get?

 **And you don't even want to know the garbage they used to cover up the Rebellion.** Just another reason Peridot did right in dissing Yellow Diamond.

Garnet hummed in disappointment at that tidbit, hardly surprised.

A haughty huff emanated from Pearl, who crossed her arms. "Well at least _we_ all have sense enough to admit when we've messed up," she blushed again at the knowing glances from her friends, "albeit with a bit of a push. Still, you're both right. Hiding all this just makes things more complicated than necessary, and after everything with Jasper, Peridot and that Ruby squad, we can't afford more schisms like this." A light tap to the knee brought Pearl's attention to a perplexed Amber.

 **What was that about a Ruby Squad?**

Pearl shared a mien of surprise with Garnet. "Peridot and Lapis hadn't told you?"

Amber's eyes shifted side to side for a moment. **So that story about you guys fending off a bunch of Rubies from Homeworld by playing baseball was true then? I thought Peridot was trying to be funny.**

Oh...Garnet and Pearl shared yet another look before their silence dissolved into a fit of laughter. Honestly, neither of them could blame their smaller companion for assuming that. For someone who prioritized objectivity, Peridot had something of a penchant for tall tales. Still, that story _was_ awfully humorous when one looked back on it.

In fact, Garnet was just about to comment on just that when something in Amber's backpack started ringing. The molehog reached in and produced the object to reveal her cell phone vibrating. Who could be calling her right at this hour?

Pressing the call button, she put the phone to her ear and managed a deeply garbled 'hello'. Lapis' voice emitted from the device almost immediately. "Um, Amber? Could you come over to the barn? We have a slight problem." The bored annoyance in her voice could not be more apparent. "Also, Peridot says to bring the others with you."

Positioning the phone against her shoulder so her hands were free and screeching to keep Lapis from hanging up yet, Amber hastened to write in her notebook, making sure to groan out 'again' to insure she got the other Gem's words right. Once she and Lapis hung up, she presented the 'play-by-play' to the others.

Garnet sighed, one hand on her hip, while Pearl facepalmed in annoyance.

 **You're gonna need another baseball game.**


	24. Like a Bandage

**Note: Takes place r** **ight after "Beta" and "Earthlings" and during the events of "Back to the Moon"**

* * *

"And _that's_ how I learned to kick even more butt than before!"

"Wow!"

"That's incredible!"

"What do ya expect from the Kindergarten Quartz That Could?"

Amber's closed her eyes in chagrin—she was standing on all fours to keep her gem out of view—blocking out the sight of Amethyst masquerading as Jasper to fool the gullible Rubies swarming around her.

The rest of the gang's varying degrees of disbelief and exasperation seconded Amber's notion.

On the reluctantly brighter side, at least the Quartz's plan had subverted any further conflict, though Amber knew that would not remain the case for long. Even with centuries of shapeshifting skill under her facet, Amethyst could only assume that form for so long. These Rubies needed to be sent off—soon and permanently _,_ which seemed to be Amethyst's intention despite her half-baked means of going about it. In which case, Amber approached the faux Jasper and gently tugged the end of her long white hair with her mouth to grab the larger Gem's attention.

"Hey, weird spiky thing!" Eyeball barked at the molehog, pointing a finger at her. "Who gave you permission to touch Jasper?!" Her fellow Rubies piped up similar sentiments, all of them as terrifying as a bag of red velvet marshmallows. The fact that she now found out about Steven's nicknames for them via Garnet and Pearl's inquiry upon arrival did little to help the foot soldiers' case.

'Jasper' waved a nonchalant hand. "Ah, it's cool you guys! This is just my...," her eyes sidled for a desperate second, "pet pincushion, so I can keep my hair nice and spiky, yeah that's it!"

...

...

"I can see that."

"Me too!"

"Makes sense."

"Quartzes need their hair in battle, after all."

 _'Aaand of course you guys eat it up,'_ Amber mused with a downward shake of her head as she followed Amethyst back to the group for a _very_ interesting private chat.

"Really Amethyst?" Pearl, keeping her voice low, subtly gestured a lithe hand to the Rubies. "How long do you expect yourself to keep this up?"

"Just long enough ta convince 'em to go back to Homeworld and tell Yellow Diamond this planet's good as doomed," the purple phony murmured back.

"Amethyst!" Peridot hiss-whispered in a panic, hands clawing through her triangular hair. "They're going to expect you to return there with them! Yellow Diamond sent Jasper here to report back, not sightsee!"

"That's why I told them about the computer at the moon base! I gave 'em this whole spiel about how I made you guys take me up there, only to get surprise-attacked so one of you could bust the computer up and keep me from contacting Homeworld, and then beat all of you in a super-awesome fight! Totally flawless! That way, I can just ask them to do the report for me without taking me!"

Garnet tilted her face. "On what grounds?" The Moon Base computer being out of commission only meant 'Jasper' would need to report back in person.

And judging by the wide eyes and sucked-in lips, Amethyst realized that flaw as well. "Uh...," she stalled for ideas as she rolled her eyes upward and scratched her cheek, "on the grounds thaaaaat..."

"Jasper?" The purple Quartz jumped with barely restrained yelp at Doc's sudden proximity. "If you're having trouble with the prisoners, we can rough 'em up for you!"

"Oh, that uh won't be necessary!" Ame-Jasper hastily stuck a thumb to her chest. "Trust me I've already got that covered! I was just...interrogating them about what they knew about what happened to Pink Diamond."

Silence fell upon both sides, shock from the Rubies and bated breath from the Crystals. The moment finally broke when Eyeball patted her calf, face empathetic. "We understand. We can tweak some of the details in the report."

"Wow really?" Ame-Jasper shook her head. "I mean—thanks guys! I appreciate that."

"You sure?" Doc, uncertain, walked up to put a hand on Eyeball's shoulder. "What will we tell Yellow Diamond?"

Eyeball waved a dismissive hand at her leader with a confident smile. "Easy. We'll just say her Gem got lost when the Peridot's ship crash-landed." Said green Gem felt her eye twitch at the reminder, even if it _was_ only a fib on her part. She still had her pride after all.

Regardless, Pearl and Garnet shared a look of wonder, as did Amber and Lapis. Maybe this farce would work after all, though they all knew better than to keep their hopes up.

"Besides," Eyeball continued, "somebody needs to avenge our Diamond after that traitorous Rose Quartz shattered her."

"WHAT?!" Of course, everyone forgot one important variable: Steven. His sudden shout startled everyone, giving the incensed human-gem teen room as he marched towards the Ruby Squad. He stomped a sandaled foot in denial. "Rose Quartz would never do that!"

"Oh yeah," Army sneered with crossed arms over her chest, "and how would _you_ know that, human?"

Steven stuttered, now at a complete loss of words, hands balled helplessly and eyes shifting away from the Squad's pointed stares. "Um, well..." He shot a pleading look to the others, vaguely noticing how among the helpless faces that mirrored his own, even Garnet via her pained expression and Pearl who curled in on herself with eyes stark wide and both hands over her mouth.

Amethyst proved quick to improvise as she slid in between the Rubies and Steven with a huge fake grin. "Heeee's...their accomplice of course! Yeah, hehe," she thumbed over her shoulder, "you would _not_ believe the junk these Crystal Gems have been feeding him!" Amber could practically _hear_ the cringe in Amethyst's voice. "H-Humans, am I right? A-Anyway, you guys better get to Homeworld! You know how Yellow Diamond gets!"

Leggy shared a look and fearful shudder with Navy. "Don't remind us."

The entire Squad cast a diamond salute to Ame-Japser, one the violet imposter somewhat struggled to return out of awkwardness but managed before the squad marched back into their Red Eye. Less than a minute later, the ship levitated with a futuristic whir and warped out of sight.

Amber could only blink, taken back _. 'Okay wow. That worked out.'_

She smiled...until a peek out of her peripherals alerted her to Steven and his despondent stance. She winced. _'Okay almost.'_

Amethyst seconded that notion as she warped back into her normal self, concern etched into her face. "You okay there, Stevo?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

Amber begged to differ on account of the boy's continued lack of eye contact. However, he wasn't her ward so she had no authority to address his emotional state unless she had the Crystals' okay, even if for a valid reason. Hence why she sincerely hoped Garnet or Pearl or Amethyst would take the kid aside to come clean about this inadvertent reveal.

Judging by the concerned yet hesitant glances being shared between Garnet and Amethyst and (most alarmingly) the way Pearl continued tremulously sealing her mouth with a shellshocked thousand-yard stare, something in the yellow stone's metaphorical guts told her they intended to do that—and more than likely botch it up.

Eventually, Garnet broke the tense silence as she stepped forward. "Steven—"

"Did...Did Mom really shatter Pink Diamond?"

Garnet shot Peridot, Lapis, and Amber a cursory glance before getting down to one knee and putting a hand on Steven's shoulder, Ruby's gemstone warm on the teen's skin. "Yes."

"Why didn't you guys tell me?"

When the maroon fusion cast another pointed look to the blue and yellow and green Gems again, a scowl cropped up on Lapis as she crossed her arms in defiance. "What? Afraid we'll tell you guys on the Diamonds or something?"

"D-Don't be ridiculous," Pearl retorted with less heat and snark than expected, almost as if she were relieved for the change in subject. "We all know you're neutral parties." Peridot cleared her throat with a self-important ahem, one fist before her mouth and eyes closed. Despite herself, Pearl rolled her eyes. "The _two_ of you, I mean."

"So," the blue stone continued with crossed arms and a challenging frown, "me and Amber showing concern for Steven here isn't good enough for us to be in the loop."

Amber and Steven tensed; Pearl blushed in bright cyan; Peridot and Amethyst darted their eyes back and forth nervously; and Garnet kept her gaze on Lapis, who gladly kept up her end of the staredown.

In classic fashion, none other than Steven stepped in to defuse the incoming fight, coming in between the fusion and hydromancer. "Lapis, Garnet didn't mean it like that!" He looked to the taller Gem hopefully and desperately. "Right? Lapis and Amber have much a right to know what's going on as the rest of us."

Garnet remained silent, gaze unreadable, long enough that the others' faces started to contort in various levels of tension.

Until at last, she spoke. "We wanted to tell you when the time was right."

Pearl wringed her hands over her chest. "And we couldn't exactly tell you the moment you were born either." She met Steven's gaze, stilly visibly shaken. "We're so sorry."

Steven managed a weak smile at the apology before it melted back into a saddened frown. His eyes became downcast. "Did Mom... _really_ have to shatter her?"

"She had to," Garnet affirmed in a stern yet gentle voice, "for all of us to be the way we are now. Or at least," she tilted her head at the sulking Lapis and attentive Peridot, "those of us she could help at least."

Lapis merely narrowed her eyes, hardly moved by the fusion's admission. Peridot cleared her throat in hopes of drawing attention away from her teammate. "With all due respect, this is hardly news to me. Amber shared all the details regarding Pink Diamond and the circumstances around her demise." She turned to Steven with slight guilt. "We had discussed sharing these details with you. We agreed to let the others have that choice."

Amber scrambled to write. **I don't regret telling Amethyst about where she came from or Peridot , but considering the tension the former wrought on you all, you could imagine how much more loaded doing the same with you would be.**

Amethyst rubbed the back of her head self-consciously. She felt the same way, so she couldn't blame the yellow Gem for her reasoning, but that fact didn't make seeing the hurt on Steven's face any easier. Amber, realizing that as well, stared down in her now fidgeting hands in nearing shame.

"We agreed to tell you on the way here," Pearl hastily yet truthfully interjected on Amber's behalf before sidling her eyes to the sky where the Red Eye had departed, "well after all that business with the Rubies, of course." She looked to Steven with a worried frown. "If you're still willing to hear us out, of course."

The silence carried on thick and heavy. Steven looked around at everyone, eyes pensive, before finally facing Pearl with an innocently stern face. "As long as everybody gets to hear the story, and I mean everybody." His eyes darted to the side, empty space, for a moment. "And Connie, too."

For a split second, Pearl appeared ready to argue—part of her didn't sit well with the thought of her best pupil becoming familiar with the tragedy of war—but one glance at Garnet and Amber silenced whatever protests she had. Besides, her logical side reasoned, it wouldn't be fair if only Steven got the opportunity to learn more about the Rebellion. So instead, the former servant managed an agreeing nod and small though strained smile, one Steven gladly returned.

In turn, Amber pulled her cellphone from out of her bag and left Connie a text message in case the girl had family time or some other activity going on at the moment.

Steven looked downward and rubbed the back of his head. "And Pearl," he panned back to her. "Me, Peridot, and Amethyst have something to tell you guys, too, after you're done."

Turning their eyes away as well, Amethyst chuckled halfheartedly and rubbed her arm while Peridot scratched her face with a finger, sneaking (in vain) a warily concerned glance at her sharp-eyed barn mate.

Garnet, Pearl, Amber, and Lapis all gave the younger Gems stares ranging from suspicious to curious to worried.

"Trust us," the purple Quartz added ruefully, "it's a doozy."

* * *

 **Sorry everyone—firstly that this chapter took so long; second that there's no tearful reunion in space—but at least Steven has one less traumatic experience under his belt!**


End file.
